Reported (Q3-2019) revenues of $1,683,985 compared to $589,648, up by 186%
For the nine months operations, company reported revenues of $2,559,068 compared to $1,872,944, up by 37%
Cash position improved significantly, $812,853 compared to $66,296 in the previous quarter
Recent Achievements:
Secured the second contract of a multi
phase R&D program through the Department of National Defence’s
Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program with a
value of approximately $945,094.
Software licencing contract with
GreenInsightz Limited for the use of its proprietary Nexalogy’s
Artificial Intelligence software platform for a value of approximately
$1 million in cash and shares
Secured another contract with a division of Lotte for approximately $1,000,000.
Participated in NATO Research Task Group in Paris, France.
The Technology:
NexaIntelligence
Social-media discovery and monitoring platform for those who need to extract actionable insights out of discussions to inform decision-making.
Current languages supported: English, French, Russian, and Korean (more coming soon).
The system collects and analyses data from Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, blogs, web forums, online news sites, Google Alerts and RSS feeds. With it, you’ll be able to make qualitative analyses based on both quantitative and qualitative data so you can provide context for the numbers, not just spreadsheets.
When exploring Twitter data, users immediately have access to:
An interactive timeline showing peaks of activity
Most frequent publishers and most frequently mentioned accounts
Most common words and hashtags
A lexical map that automatically clusters conversations to show common patterns of interactions and key topics
A geolocation-based heat map
FULL DISCLOSURE: Datametrex AI Limited is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:04 PM on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020
Further to its previous press release dated November 4th, 2019, Company has completed all torch tests successfully, and has received final payment from RISE Energy Technology Center AB
As a result of this success, PyroGenesis has received numerous requests for proposals from potential clients in the field, and recently signed a small order from a multi-billion-dollar international producer of iron pelletsÂ
MONTREAL, March 04, 2020 — PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (http://pyrogenesis.com) (TSX-V: PYR) (OTCQB: PYRNF) (FRA: 8PY), a high-tech company, (the “Company”, the “Corporation†or “PyroGenesis”) that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma atomized metal powder, plasma waste-to-energy systems and plasma torch products, announced today that, further to its previous press release dated November 4th, 2019, the Company has completed all torch tests successfully, and has received final payment from RISE Energy Technology Center AB (the “Clientâ€).
This contract, originally announced in January of last year, is for a
900-kW plasma torch system which was won in a competitive bid process.
PyroGenesis’ 900-kW plasma torch is used to replace fossil fuel
burners in the iron ore induration (pelletization) process.
Pelletization is the process in which iron ore is concentrated before
shipment, thus significantly reducing the cost of transportation. In
conventional technology, the process heat is provided by fuel oil or
natural gas burners. The combustion, in the burners, of fossil fuels
results in the production of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2. Plasma
torches, by the fact that they can convert renewable electricity to heat
offer an environmentally attractive alternative to fossil fuel burners.
Following the success of the SAT (Site Acceptance Test) of the
high-power plasma torch at the Client’s facility in Sweden, a series of
additional torch tests were performed at the client’s site. As
announced, these tests have concluded successfully, and discussions are
now taking place for follow on work and additional torch orders.
According to management, a typical pellet plant producing 10 million
metric tonnes of pellets annually emits approximately one million metric
tonnes of CO21. The total world pellet production of 400 million metric
tonnes of pellets represents a potential market for torch sales in
excess of $10B worldwide. The world pellet industry generates about 40
million metric tonnes of CO2 every year. The use of plasma torches
running off a clean electrical grid would reduce these emissions
significantly. For reference, 40 million tonnes of CO2 represent the
combined yearly emissions of 8.7 million US passenger vehicles2.
As a result of this success, PyroGenesis has received numerous
requests for proposals from potential clients in the field, and recently
signed a small order from a multi-billion-dollar international producer
of iron pellets. This order is to model and evaluate the performance
of PyroGenesis’ torch in an existing industrial furnace. If successful,
this would potentially lead to a multi-torch order aimed at replacing
burners in their industrial pelletizing plant. An iron pelletizing
furnace typically uses dozens of high-power burners (typically between
1-5 MW).
“Our success with RISE has demonstrated to the industrial
manufacturing sector that our Plasma Torches represent an opportunity to
significantly cut GHG emissions through a simple bolt-on replacement of
their current fossil fuel burners,†said Mr. P. Peter Pascali,
President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “Given how compelling our torch
offering is, particularly in light of the environmental pressure the
industry is under (only recently a new trend has emerged where financial
institutions are tying credit facilities and debt issuances to carbon
reduction targets for multi-national industrial and mining
conglomerates) we expect the demand for our torches to grow
exponentially.â€
1 M. Huerta, J. Bolen, M. Okrutny, I. Cameron and K. O’Leary,
“Guidelines for Selecting Pellet Plant Technologyâ€, Iron Ore Conference
2015 Proceedings, Perth, WA, July 13-15, 2015
PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a high-tech company, is the world leader in
the design, development, manufacture and commercialization of advanced
plasma processes and products. We provide engineering and manufacturing
expertise, cutting-edge contract research, as well as turnkey process
equipment packages to the defense, metallurgical, mining, advanced
materials (including 3D printing), oil & gas, and environmental
industries. With a team of experienced engineers, scientists and
technicians working out of our Montreal office and our 3,800 m2
manufacturing facility, PyroGenesis maintains its competitive advantage
by remaining at the forefront of technology development and
commercialization. Our core competencies allow PyroGenesis to lead the
way in providing innovative plasma torches, plasma waste processes,
high-temperature metallurgical processes, and engineering services to
the global marketplace. Our operations are ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D
certified, and have been since 1997. PyroGenesis is a publicly-traded
Canadian Corporation on the TSX Venture Exchange (Ticker Symbol: PYR)
and on the OTCQB Marketplace. For more information, please visit www.pyrogenesis.com.
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
Corporation’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
Corporation with respect to future events and are subject to certain
risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in
the Corporation’s ongoing filings with the securities regulatory
authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com, or at
www.otcmarkets.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ
materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements. The Corporation 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, its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in
the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the OTCQB accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
SOURCE PyroGenesis Canada Inc.
For further information please contact:
Rodayna Kafal, Vice President Investors Relations and Strategic Business Development Phone: (514) 937-0002, E-mail: [email protected]
Tags: PyroGenesis, small cap stocks, stocks, tsx Posted in PyroGenesis Canada Inc. | Comments Off on PyroGenesis $PYR.ca Successfully Completes all Torch Tests for RISE Energy Technology Center AB LMT $RTN $NOC $UTX $HPQ.ca $DDD.ca $SSYS $PRLB
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:45 PM on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp.
aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. 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 ecosystem. Click here for more information.
Education Is the New Healthcare, and Other Trends Shaping Edtech Investing
Private equity and venture funds have invested record sums into the global education sector—$30 billion in the past five years across K-12 and workplace learning
Since 2017, investment has accelerated with $14 billion allocated, according to research firm HolonIQ.
Despite the influx of capital, employers, schools and policymakers
are only just beginning to harness the sector’s advancements in the
delivery, accessibility and effectiveness of education technology. As
adoption of these products and services increases around the world, so
too does the opportunity for investors and entrepreneurs to generate
positive social and economic impact alongside financial returns.
Here are five key trends to consider as education enters a new decade:
1. In the workplace, education is the new healthcare.
In the 1940’s and ‘50s, employers seeking to attract the best workers
offered healthcare benefits. In the early 2000’s, employers offered
free snacks and installed foosball tables.
Those perks have lost their luster, and with help from the Affordable
Care Act, even healthcare is becoming less of a differentiator. Today,
leading corporations hope to drive employee engagement, retention and
advancement through providing education.
In 2014, Starbucks and Arizona State University pioneered a new kind of partnership.
By offering high-quality, affordable online courses and programs,
coupled with tuition assistance, ASU and Starbucks enabled thousands to
become degree holders—debt free. In a recent interview with CNBC,
Starbuck’s CEO Kevin Johnson pointed to the College Achievement Plan as a
driver for sales growth, because employee engagement yields customer
engagement.
To broaden this workplace education initiative, The Rise Fund partnered with ASU and other leading online universities to launch InStride,
providing valuable educational credentials to the employees of
forward-thinking corporations. In bringing affordable education to the
workplace, companies like InStride, Guild, Degreed and EdAssist are
addressing the biggest issues in higher education: career relevance and
student debt.
2. Our schools are facing a mental health crisis.
Today, 95 percent of teenagers have access to a smartphone, and the average teen is now spending more than 7 hours per day on their screens,
including over 1.5 hours on social media. But the proliferation of
technology does not come without concerns. These tools can amplify
feelings of loneliness and serve as a platform for cyberbullying.
Mental health problems, especially among teens, increased significantly in the last decade. Seventy percent of teenagers identify mental health as a major issue, worse than drug addiction, and gangs. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among 10- to 24-year-olds, and the rate has tripled over the last 10 years. In a Harvard Medical School study
of 67,000 college students across more than 100 institutions, 1 out of 5
students surveyed said that they had thought about suicide.
“Teachers and administrators are hungry for effective ways to teach
social and emotional learning,†says former U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan.
Who will pay for these needed services? Most are paid by schools or
districts, but other funding approaches are emerging. One of our
portfolio investments, EverFi, finds corporate partners to fund their
bullying prevention programs in schools. Other companies, like Presence
Learning, are experimenting with models that may be reimbursed by health
insurance, while Aperture Education helps schools to find grant funding
for their services.
3. Schools spent a decade buying technology. Now they want it to work.
Education technology reached a tipping point in the last decade. Broadband penetration in K-12 schools reached over 98 percent, while low-cost computing devices like Chromebooks have proliferated in classrooms.
This has laid the infrastructure to support new instructional tools,
many built by new companies that have emerged to compete with
traditional print publishers. HolonIQ estimates that global spending on
digital education tools surpassed $150 billion last year, and will double by 2025.
But purchasing is not proof that something works. Even more concerning: many tools may simply be gathering (digital) dust. A recent study by the University of Pennsylvania, only 30 percent of edtech licenses are actually used.
In any future economic downturn, expect technology providers who fail
to show evidence of improvement—let alone usage—to get axed. Those
seeking to avoid this fate would do well to invest in proving that their
products work. DreamBox, (another portfolio company) invests in efficacy research
led by independent third-parties including Harvard and SRI
International. Lexia Learning, a subsidiary of Rosetta Stone, employs a
team of PhDs who send their research out for peer review.
Recently updated federal guidelines
have also raised the bar for efficacy evidence that educational
services should demonstrate before public funds can be used to purchase
them.
4. There is growing international demand for English-language learning.
Duolingo made headlines in December when it raised $30 million at a $1.5 billion valuation,
reaching the “unicorn†milestone just seven years after the company
launched. While it offers courses in several languages, a big growth
driver internationally is English language learning, where it competes
with online providers Babbel, Busuu and Rosetta Stone.
As businesses have expanded globally through tech and business
process outsourcing, English language proficiency has become an
important path to economic opportunity. According to studies by the
World Bank, in India, those fluent in English earn 34 percent more on
average than those who are non-fluent, while in Nigeria, the
English-language wage premium is 40 percent.
In emerging markets, English language proficiency is a core component
of what many parents look for as they seek high-quality schools for
their children. That demand has fueled the growth of multi-billion
dollar, dual-language K-12 platforms like Cognita, GEMS and Nord Anglia
in markets around the world.
5. Will edtech be caught up in a backlash against ‘big tech’ over data privacy?
Rising edtech expenditures and privacy concerns have caught the eye of regulators. A group of U.S. Senators recently requested
50 technology companies—including education technology providers—to
provide written responses to questions about student privacy safeguards.
These inquiries come at a time when many believe the enforcement of
federal education regulation is increasingly lax.
Edtech providers are as vulnerable as their peers in other
industries. At a major cybersecurity conference last fall, an
18-year-old student detailed vulnerabilities he found in Blackboard, one of the most widely-used learning management systems in the country.
As U.S. edtech companies expand globally, they will also find
themselves subject to stricter European data privacy laws, like GDPR.
They may also find themselves at the mercy of sudden changes in national
policies, such as the restrictions recently imposed in China on foreign
investment in K-12 programs.
2020 and Beyond
The Rise Fund has made investments across these themes, and as we
enter the next decade, the correlation between educational attainment
and economic opportunity will continue to drive the demand for tools and
services that bridge these two goals. For investors and entrepreneurs
who choose wisely, opportunities abound for attractive returns and
impact through the power of education.
Tags: CSE, edtech, india, online education, stocks Posted in betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on Education Is the New Healthcare, and Other Trends Shaping #Edtech Investing – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:48 AM on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020
SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited
(TSX-V: DM) A revenue generating small cap A.I. company that NATO and
Canadian Defence are using to fight fake news & social media
threats. The company announced three $1M contacts in Q3-2019. Click here for more info.
States launch ‘trusted information’ efforts against fake news on social media
Wrong claims in Maine that Election Day is on different days for Republicans than for Democrats.
The misinformation on social media is contributing to a heightened alert ahead of Super Tuesday, when millions of Americans are expected to cast 2020 primary ballots.
(CNN)A Facebook account impersonating the Swain County board of elections in North Carolina. Unfounded rumors that Tarrant County, Texas, doesn’t have former Vice President Joe Biden on the ballot.
Wrong claims in Maine that Election Day is on different days for Republicans than for Democrats. The misinformation on social media is contributing to a heightened alert ahead of Super Tuesday, when millions of Americans are expected to cast 2020 primary ballots.
“Misinformation is the most likely source of trouble we’re going to experience this year,” Keith Ingram, elections director at the Texas Secretary of State’s office, told CNN. Â State officials say misinformation poses as big a threat to elections as cyber-attacks that could cripple voting infrastructure.
So to counter the bad information online, states are increasingly going on the offensive — trying to spread good information to inoculate the public. But while experts commend the effort, many have questions about its effectiveness — and some say states could be doing more. Â Earlier this week, California’s secretary of state sent emails to the 6.6 million registered voters with email addresses on file, directing them to the state’s election education guide. North Carolina’s board of elections ran radio ads recently reminding voters that photo identification will not be necessary in the state on Super Tuesday, thanks to a recent court ruling. Ingram said Texas’s online portal for accurate election information, votetexas.gov, is being “pounded in people’s minds” through social media. Â
And across the country, officials are using the hashtag #trustedinfo2020 to tell Americans exactly where to find the bedrock truth for election information. Â “Your source for #TrustedInfo2020 is ALWAYS your state and county election officials,” Oklahoma’s state election board tweeted last week — pointing voters to an internet portal for identifying polling places and requesting absentee ballots. The hashtag campaign is organized by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS).
Drowning out misinformation
By flooding the zone with constructive content, states are hoping to drown out negative or harmful material. It’s an idea linked to a growing body of research on online extremism, which has found that offering a contrasting view against hate speech can minimize its impact and lead to more engagement for the positive messages on social media. Â
“The #trustedinfo2020 campaign is really a sort of reminder to people that there are resources that they can trust if they hear something or if they have some question about the news,” said Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap in an interview with CNN. Â
Meanwhile, in California, Secretary of State Alex Padilla has taken out ads on social media to promote the visibility of accurate information, according to Sam Mahood, an agency spokesman. In some cases, Mahood said, posts from the secretary’s official social media accounts correcting online misinformation were picked up by news outlets who helped further suppress the spread of false claims. Â
Social media platforms have also dramatically improved their relationships with states compared to 2016 and 2018, election officials said. Whereas some states once lacked ways to contact Facebook or Twitter in earlier cycles, that’s changed, said Ingram. Â “They’ve all made themselves accessible,” he said. “They all have folks who reach out to us, and we have their [contact] information.” Â The same goes for the federal government.
The Department of Homeland Security has established real-time communications channels for state and local officials to share reports of suspicious activity. Those portals are mostly focused on cybersecurity threats. But the US government will “continue to plan for the worst” as it anticipates Russia continuing its misinformation efforts this year, acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf told CNN last week in North Carolina. Â
Wolf also called on voters to make sure they are “getting their information straight from the source.”
States reaching out to social media
As recently as last week, Facebook removed a misleading page that falsely told North Carolina voters they could fill out one bubble on a general-election ballot in order to vote for a single party across all eligible races, said Patrick Gannon, a spokesman for the state board of elections.
The page risked confusing North Carolinians and damaging trust in the democratic process, he added, but Facebook removed it at the state’s request. Â Still, playing Whack-a-Mole against individual cases of misinformation is no substitute for providing credible information, according to state officials. Â
Experts say awareness campaigns like #trustedinfo2020 are critical to improving public trust in the democratic process. Â But, they added, there’s no single solution for a problem as abstract and multi-faceted as online misinformation, said Matt Sheehan, managing director of the Center for Public Interest Communications at the University of Florida. Â
“I wish there was a fix as simple as a hashtag, but it runs counter to how we’re wired as humans,” he said. “Our personalities and worldviews color the information we find credible, or seek out as consumers.” Â The dedication of those trying to mislead voters, as well as the natural ebb and flow of ordinary misinformation, makes it hard for officials to compete, said Rachel Goodman, an attorney at the civil society nonprofit Protect Democracy. Â
“The unfortunate reality is, because there’s so many resources on the misnformation side,” she said, “it’s hard to see until we’re really in the crucible how it really measures up.” Â By some estimates, the #trustedinfo2020 campaign doesn’t appear to have spread very far. One researcher who analyzed the hashtag told CNN that since late last year, it has been mentioned in about 10,000 tweets, mostly in posts created by election officials themselves. NASS declined to comment. Â “Ten thousand mentions since mid-November is a relatively low volume,” said Ben Nimmo, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. “It shows there’s been some pickup, but it’s not a viral phenomenon yet.” Â Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/02/politics/state-efforts-against-social-media-misinformation/index.html
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:12 AM on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020
Signed a letter of intent for a master lease and operations agreement with an experienced California-licensed operator to operate the cultivation facilities at the Company’s Salinas, California farm
Cultivator will lease the Company’s cultivation facilities at its Salinas farm for 5 years, with options to extend the lease for up to an additional 5 years
Bonfire Brands USA will receive the following
consideration:
Lease payments starting at approximately USD$1 million per year in year 1, with incremental increases that could bring the annual rent to as high as USD$1.8Â million per year;
A royalty equal to 3% of the gross revenue generated by the Cultivator from its use of the Salinas farm; and
The right to acquire up to 15% of all the product harvested by the Cultivator on the farm at a discount to market rate with extended payment terms.
TORONTO, March 04, 2020 — North Bud Farms Inc. (CSE: NBUD) (OTCQB: NOBDF) (“NORTHBUD” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce that its U.S. subsidiary, Bonfire Brands USA Inc., has signed a letter of intent (the “LOIâ€) for a master lease and operations agreement with an experienced California-licensed operator (the “Cultivatorâ€) to operate the cultivation facilities at the Company’s Salinas, California farm.
Terms of the LOI
As per the terms of the LOI, the companies will work together towards
completing a definitive agreement before May 1, 2020, in which the
Cultivator will lease the Company’s cultivation facilities at its
Salinas farm for 5 years, with options to extend the lease for up to an
additional 5 years, and Bonfire Brands USA will receive the following
consideration:
Lease payments starting at approximately USD$1 million per year in
year 1, with incremental increases that could bring the annual rent to
as high as USD$1.8 million per year;
A royalty equal to 3% of the gross revenue generated by the Cultivator from its use of the Salinas farm; and
The right to acquire up to 15% of all the product harvested by the
Cultivator on the farm at a discount to market rate with extended
payment terms.
During the term of the proposed agreement, the Cultivator will be
responsible for 100% of the costs associated with staffing, operations,
licensing and compliance with respect to the farm’s cultivation
facilities; moreover, the Cultivator is committed to fund and manage the
build-out of an additional 230,000 sq. ft. of licensed cultivation
space over the first 24 months of the proposed agreement.
“Our objective when we acquired the Salinas farm was to secure access
to the high-quality, low-cost cannabis that has always been grown in
that area, known as “the salad bowl of America,†said Justin Braune,
President of Bonfire Brands USA. “This proposed agreement will allow the
Company to immediately achieve EBITDA-positive operations at our
largest facility without incurring the significant capital investments
that have debilitated many companies in our industry. By retaining
preferential purchasing terms, the Company can focus on its branded
product distribution business on the back of the estimated 40,000 pounds
of production capacity that the Cultivator will bring online over the
next 24 months.â€
Sean Homuth, NORTHBUD’s CEO added: “Partnering with a proven licensed
cultivator who has been operating in Salinas for multiple years
achieves the following objectives: it significantly de-risks our
California operations while allowing the Company to increase its asset
value; it reduces our capital expenditure requirements while still
generating significant revenue; and it builds EBITDA-positive operations
without limiting our access to a cost-efficient and reliable supply
chain on which to build our branded product portfolio within the state
of California.â€
About North Bud Farms Inc.
NORTHBUD, through its U.S. subsidiary Bonfire Brands USA, has
acquired cannabis production facilities in California and Nevada. The
Salinas, California 11-acre farm is actively cultivating cannabis in its
60,000 sq. ft. of licensed greenhouse production space, and also has
active distribution and processing licenses. The Reno, Nevada property
contains a world-class cannabis production, research and development
facility with 5,000 sq. ft. of indoor cultivation, and holds medical and
adult-use licenses for cultivation, extraction and distribution.
Through its wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary, GrowPros MMP Inc., the
Company is pursuing a license under The Cannabis Act, to cultivate in
its state-of-the-art purpose-built cannabis production facility located
on 135 acres of agricultural land in Low, Quebec, Canada.
Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is
defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-looking statements Certain
statements and information included in this press release that, to the
extent they are not historical fact, constitute forward-looking
information or statements (collectively, “forward-looking statementsâ€)
within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking
statements, include but are not limited to those identified by the
expressions “anticipateâ€, “believeâ€, “planâ€, “estimateâ€, “expectâ€,
“intendâ€, “mayâ€, “should†and similar expressions to the extent they
relate to the Company or its management.
Forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, those
regarding the closing of the definitive agreement with the Cultivator,
the success of the Company’s licence application with Health Canada, the
Company’s ability to execute its strategic plan, conditions in the
cannabis market, the Company entering agreements in connection with the
B2B supply of cannabis and the Company’s transition into a
revenue-generating operational phase of development are based on the
reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management
made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current
conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that
management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances
at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be
incorrect.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results,
performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the
forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among
others, the risk factors included in the Company’s final long form
prospectus dated August 21, 2018, which is available under the Company’s
SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such
forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement
speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors
emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company’s
management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the
impact of each such factor on the Company’s business or the extent to
which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any
forward-looking statements to reflect information, events, results,
circumstances or otherwise after the date hereof or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law including
securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell
or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of the Company.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: North Bud Farms Inc. Edward Miller VP, IR & Communications Office: (855) 628-3420 ext. 3 [email protected]
Tags: Cannabis, CBD, CSE, Hemp, Marijuana Posted in Featured, North Bud Farms Inc | Comments Off on North Bud Farms $NBUD.ca Signs Letter of Intent to Enter into Lease and Master Operations Agreement for the Cultivation Facilities at its California Farm $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 7:02 AM on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020
Patient visits in corporate clinics increased by 800% in February 2020 versus the same period in 2019
Total patient visits of 1,817 in February 2020 compared to 227 in February 2019
VANCOUVER, BC / March 4, 2020 / EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE: CBDT) (OTC: EPWCF) (Frankfurt 8EC) (“Empower” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented life sciences company, is pleased to announce that patient visits in corporate clinics increased by 800% in February 2020 versus the same period in 2019, with total patient visits of 1,817 in February 2020 compared to 227 in February 2019.
“Patient volumes have remained strong to start the year in all
clinics, continuing on our push for a record first quarter.” said Dustin
Klein, SVP Business Development and Director of Empower. “Operational
excellence each day, combined with exemplary care for the patient, sets
us apart in the markets we serve.”
The Company also has received numerous inquiries with both positive
and supportive sentiment, after the recent announcement of the Company’s
intention to create a psilocybin and psychedelics division.
“Getting positive reinforcement from researchers, physicians,
advocates and practitioners about our intention to enter this developing
field of study, gives me confidence that we have made the correct
decision to leverage our corporate assets for psilocybin and
psychedelics research and development.” said Steven McAuley, Chairman
& CEO of Empower.
ABOUT EMPOWER
Empower is a vertically-integrated health & wellness brand with
it’s first hemp-derived CBD extraction facility under development, the
Company produces its proprietary line of cannabidiol (CBD) based
products and distributes products through company owned and franchised
clinics, with wholesale partnerships, online channels and with new
retail opportunities nationwide in the U.S. The company is a leading
multi-state operator of a network of physician-staffed wellness clinics,
focused on helping patients improve and protect their health, through
innovative physician recommended treatment options. The company has
commenced activity on how to connect its significant data, to the
potential of the efficacy of alternative treatment options related to
hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) therapies.
Investors: Dustin Klein SVP, Business Development [email protected] 720-352-1398
For French inquiries: Remy Scalabrini, Maricom Inc., E: [email protected], T: (888) 585-MARI
DISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements”
or “forward-looking information” (collectively “forward looking
statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws.
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are
forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and
projections as at the date of this news release.Forward-looking statements
can frequently be identified by words such as “plans”, “continues”,
“expects”, “projects”, “intends”, “believes”, “anticipates”,
“estimates”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar
words, or information that certain events or conditions “may” or “will”
occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include
statements regarding; the Company’s intention to open a hemp-based CBD
extraction facility, the expected benefits to the Company and its
shareholders as a result of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships;
the effectiveness of the extraction technology; the expected benefits
for Empower’s patient base and customers; the benefits of CBD based
products; the effect of the approval of the Farm Bill; the growth of the
Company’s patient list and that the Company will be positioned to be a
market-leading service provider for complex patient requirements in 2019
and beyond. Such statements are only projections, are based on
assumptions known to management at this time, and are subject to risks
and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or
developments to differ materially from those contained in the
forward-looking statements, including; that the Company may not open a
hemp-based CBD extraction facility; that legislative changes may have an
adverse effect on the Company’s business and product development; that
the Company may not be able to obtain adequate financing to pursue its
business plan; general business, economic, competitive, political and
social uncertainties; failure to obtain any necessary approvals in
connection with the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; and other
factors beyond the Company’s control. No assurance can be given that any
of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur
or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking
statements in this release, which are qualified in their entirety by
these cautionary statements. The Company is under no obligation, and
expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any
forward-looking statements in this release, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by
applicable laws.
SOURCE: Empower Clinics Inc.
Tags: CSE, Hemp, Marijuana, small cap, small cap stocks, stocks Posted in Empower Clinics Inc. | Comments Off on Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca Announces Significant Patient Growth in February 2020 with Visits Increasing by 800% $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020
SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited
(TSX-V: DM) A revenue generating small cap A.I. company that NATO and
Canadian Defence are using to fight fake news & social media
threats. The company announced three $1M contacts in Q3-2019. Click here for more info.
Experts Talk Deepfake Technology at NYU Conference
Deepfakes are fabricated videos made to appear real using artificial intelligence
In some cases, the technology realistically imposes a face and voice over those of another individual
Andrew Califf, Contributing Writer
The Greenberg Lounge in Vanderbilt Hall was packed full by attendees
listening to keynote speaker Kathryn Harrison from the DeepTrust
Alliance. The NYU Journal of Legislation and Public Policy as well as
the Center for Cybersecurity hosted the conference at NYU Law about the
problem of deepfakes and the law. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)
Laughter rippled through NYU Law School’s Greenberg Lounge Monday morning after the founder and CEO of DeepTrust Alliance,
a coalition to fight digital disinformation — Kathryn Harrison — played
a video of actor Jordan Peele using deepfake technology to imitate President Obama.
Deepfakes are fabricated videos made
to appear real using artificial intelligence. In some cases, the
technology realistically imposes a face and voice over those of another
individual.
The technology poses implications
such as harassment, the spread of disinformation, manipulation of the
stock market, theft and fear-mongering, Harrison said.
Harrison and other professionals
spoke at Vanderbilt Hall this Monday at an NYU Center for Cybersecurity
and the NYU Journal of Legislation & Public Policy conference to
spread awareness about this deceptive technology, and to look at
technological, legal and practical ways to combat the deception.
The professionals consisted of
journalism, legal and cybersecurity experts who combat troubles posed by
the rapidly developing technology in different ways.
The tone of the room shifted to silence as Harrison continued her keynote speech to discuss how the technology was used to harass Rana Ayyub — an Indian journalist who was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi — by putting her face into pornographic material.
“Imagine if this was your teenage daughter, who said the wrong thing to the wrong person at school,†Harrison said.
Distinguished Fellow at the NYU Center for Cybersecurity Judi Germano said the solution for combatting deepfakes is two-fold.
“There is a lot of work to be done to
confront the deepfakes problem,†Germano told WSN. “In addition to
technological solutions, we need policy solutions.â€
Germano moderated the event’s first
panel, which specifically focused on technology, fake news and detection
of deepfakes. She also discussed the role deepfakes play in the spread
of disinformation.
Despite how innovative deepfake
technology is, experts such as Corin Faife — a journalist specializing
in AI and disinformation — consider them to be a new form of an old
problem.
“One of the important things for
deepfakes is to put it into context of this broader problem of
disinformation that we have, and to understand that that is an
ecosystemic problem,†Faife explained to WSN in an interview. “There are
multiple different contributing factors, and [the technological
solutions] are no good if people won’t accept that a certain video is
false or manipulated because of their preexisting beliefs.â€
This line of thought is why some are hesitant to push through legislature regarding deep fake technology. The director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s
Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, Ben Wizner, took this position
during the second panel on how legislature should evolve to deal with
deepfakes.
Since deepfakes are a means to commit illegal acts, Rob Volkert, VP of Threat Investigations at Nisos, understands his fellow panelist’s mindset. Volkert said he also struggles with pinpointing who to accuse.
“The responsibility is on the user,
not on the platform,†Volkert told WSN in an interview after explaining
how the market for deepfake software does not need to hide in the dark
web.
Deepfake technology is an ominous
cloud approaching the presidential election and that is why it was an
appropriate topic for this event, Journal of Legislation and Public Policy board member Lisa Femia said.
Facebook’s Cybersecurity Policy Lead
Saleela Khanum, who spoke during the conference, raised a point about
public trust during elections.
“There should not be a level of distrust that we therefore trust nothing,†Khanum said to the audience.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:21 PM on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp.
aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. 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 ecosystem. Click here for more information.
As exit scene evolves, Indian tech startups find local buyers
Exits often happen at an early stage for small, undisclosed sums
Exits are important for the startup ecosystem because investors get
returns and VC money can flow back to support new entrepreneurs
BENGALURU : Funding, product-market fit, growth
hacks, being agile, scaling—entrepreneurs obsess about all these and
more when they start up. Exits are far from their thoughts, till they
suddenly find themselves in a situation where they’re scrambling to get
their books in order for an acquisition. It’s best to have an open mind,
even if one can’t predict how a startup will fare.
Big deals like Walmart’s $16 billion acquisition of Flipkart in 2018
are as rare as the Comet Halley. Last year’s biggest acquisition was of
Yatra by Ebix for $338 million. Most deals are much smaller. Data
tracker Tracxn puts the median value of startup acquisitions last year
at $20 million, taking into account only the ones where the acquisition
price was disclosed.
Exits often happen at an early stage for small, undisclosed sums. CB
Insights research shows nearly half of all exits last year were of
startups that hadn’t gone beyond seed or series A funding.
Reasons to exit vary. For some, it’s an opportunity to take the money
on the table for founders, employees and investors, while placing the
innovation in an environment where it can go mainstream and grow bigger.
For others, it may just be a better outcome than the startup shutting
down or becoming a zombie. Some are acqui-hires, where a startup is
acquired for its tech talent rather than a product or service.
“If you’re not able to build a business as a standalone profitable
organization or attract the kind of capital needed for a venture funded
business, there’s no shame in exploring opportunities in mergers and
acquisitions,” says Rohan Malhotra, partner at Good Capital. “Often a
missing piece that a small company provides is just what a large company
has been looking for and is often beneficial for all the shareholders
across the transaction.”
MAKING MONEY FLOW
Exits are important for the startup ecosystem because investors get
returns and VC money can flow back to support new entrepreneurs. The
Flipkart deal did a lot in that respect, but mid-sized deals are just as
vital as outliers.
Many of these represent strategic business acquisition or
consolidation. For example, last month Bengaluru-based digital payments
startup Instamojo acquired Gurugram’s SaaS startup GetMeAShop, which
helps kirana stores get online. One of the significant inbound
deals last year was Cisco’s acquisition of Bengaluru-based customer
analytics startup CloudCherry, which had raised $16 million in seed and
series A funding.
Reliance Industries has taken the lead in corporate acquisitions of
startups. Fashion etailer Fynd, website creator Nowfloats, hyperlocal
restaurant delivery service Grab, fluid dynamics software maker
Sankhyasutra Labs and drone maker Asteria were among its acquisitions
last year. Also, an edtech startup it had acquired earlier, Embibe,
merged with personalized digital learning app Funtoot. Reliance Jio also
acquired Haptik for its AI virtual assistants.
Apart from mergers and acquisitions, early stage investors also get
exits from follow-on funding rounds when larger VCs come in. “Investors
need liquidity which often comes from secondary transactions,” says Neha
Singh, co-founder of Tracxn.
SoftBank’s mega investments in India, starting in 2014, moved the
needle the most, preceded by US’ Tiger Global. But the WeWork implosion
has put SoftBank on the back foot as it had to write off $4.6 billion
from its investment in the office space company. This has put a spanner
in the works of late stage deals in recent times, although Indian
startups raised a record $14.5 billion last year, according to Tracxn.
That’s more than three times the $4.3 billion invested in the slowdown
year of 2016, which followed the exuberance of the previous two years.
THE LOCAL CYCLE
“Like investments, exits have also improved along with the quality of
entrepreneurs,” says Manish Singhal, founding partner at Pi Ventures.
He cites last week’s example of customer engagement platform Freshworks
acquiring AnswerIQ, which offers AI-assisted self-service. “The most
interesting piece that has moved in the last couple of years is that
Indian startups are buying Indian startups,” he says.
The local cycle of investment and exit would reduce dependence on
external factors going forward. “What excites me is that people in India
are starting to appreciate technology developed in India. That’s why
local acquisitions are happening,” he says.
Singhal doesn’t worry about a large number of acquisitions being
small pops rather than high value deals. “As an angel investor, if I get
a small exit, I will put the money in some more companies. Anything
that circulates money in a rather constipated investment scene in India
is good for the ecosystem.”
Source:
https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-ups/as-exit-scene-evolves-indian-tech-startups-find-local-buyers-11583076229165.html
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:08 PM on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020
Highlights:
Option to acquire 100% of two licenses from Shawn Ryan in an area of excellent infrastructure.
Licenses cover over 14km of the potential extension of the
Appleton fault zone associated with many of the gold showings, including
the new discovery, on New Found Gold’s Queensway project to the south.
The two licenses represent the most prospective areas for
gold of a 45km by 15km regional till and vegetation sampling program
conducted over 3 years.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 03, 2020 – Labrador Gold Corp. (TSX-V: LAB) (“LabGold†or the “Companyâ€) is pleased to announce the acquisition of two licenses near Gander, Newfoundland from Shawn Ryan. The licenses are along strike to the northeast of the recently announced gold discovery of New Found Gold of 92.86g/t Au over 19 metres in Hole NFGC-01 on their Queensway Project. The licenses, Gander South and Gander North, consist of 264 claims covering an area of 6,600 hectares (66 square kilometres). Note that gold values in adjacent properties in similar rocks are not indicative of mineralization on the Gander licenses.
The company has the option to acquire a 100% interest in the two licenses subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval as follows:
Payment of $1,250,000 cash and issue 2 million shares as follows: $250,000 cash and 400,000 shares following TSX venture exchange approval $150,000 cash and 250,000 shares on the first anniversary of the option agreement; $150,000 cash and 300,000 shares on the second anniversary of the option agreement; $200,000 cash and 350,000 shares on the third anniversary of the option agreement; $250,000 cash and 400,000 shares on the fourth anniversary of the option agreement and $250,000 cash and 300,000 shares on the fifth anniversary of the option agreement.
Additional payments based on exploration expenditures will be made as follows: $750,000 on $10 million expenditure on one of the licenses $750,000 on $20 million expenditure on one of the licenses $750,000 on $30 million expenditure on one of the licenses
The Company will also grant a 1% net smelter return royalty (NSR) to
the Vendor plus $1 per ounce of gold in a measured and indicated
resource. An advance royalty of $50,000 per annum for each property will
be payable starting in 2026.
The Company also undertakes to spend $750,000 on each license over the first four years.
“I am very happy to see this district is getting the attention it
deserves,†said Shawn Ryan, Technical Advisor to LabGold. “I started
with 2,200 claims in 2016, and with over 1700 till samples and 3,700
vegetation samples taken over an area of 45km by 15km in 3 years have
whittled it down to the most prospective 264 claims. I am looking
forward to continuing my relationship with LabGold to aggressively
explore these licenses.â€
The two licenses cover over 14 kilometres of strike length of the
potential Appleton fault zone extension. The Appleton fault zone is
associated with many of the gold showings, including the new discovery,
on New Found Gold’s Queensway project to the south. Exploration over the
past four years including till, vegetation and soil sampling has
demonstrated the prospectivity of the licences, particularly along the
extension of the crustal scale Appleton fault zone.
Roger Moss, President and CEO, stated: “We are very happy to continue
our relationship with Shawn and work together to discover more gold
along the same structural trend that hosts the recent New Found Gold
Discovery. We believe this area has great potential for the discovery of
orogenic gold deposits associated with deep seated structures. Work
already completed on the licenses to date indicates significant gold
anomalies in till, vegetation and soil samples along the extension of
the Appleton fault zone. We intend to systematically explore this very
prospective trend during 2020 to delineate drill targets.â€
The licenses occur in an area of excellent infrastructure, situated
just 16km northwest of the town of Gander with good road access, nearby
electricity and abundant water.
Roger Moss, PhD., P.Geo., is the qualified person responsible for all technical information in this release.
About Labrador Gold:
Labrador Gold is a Canadian based mineral exploration company focused
on the acquisition and exploration of prospective gold projects in the
Americas. In 2017 Labrador Gold signed a Letter of Intent under which
the Company has the option to acquire 100% of the Ashuanipi property in
northwest Labrador and the Hopedale property in eastern Labrador.
The Hopedale property covers much of the Florence Lake greenstone
belt that stretches over 60 km. The belt is typical of greenstone belts
around the world but has been underexplored by comparison. Initial work
by Labrador Gold during 2017 show gold anomalies in soils and lake
sediments over a 3 kilometre section of the northern portion of the
Florence Lake greenstone belt in the vicinity of the known Thurber Dog
gold showing where grab samples assayed up to 7.8g/t gold. In addition,
anomalous gold in soil and lake sediment samples occur over
approximately 40 kilometres along the southern section of the greenstone
belt (see news release dated January 25th, 2018 for more details).
The Ashuanipi gold project is located just 35 km from the historical
iron ore mining community of Schefferville, which is linked by rail to
the port of Sept Iles, Quebec in the south. The claim blocks cover large
lake sediment gold anomalies that, with the exception of local
prospecting, have not seen a systematic modern day exploration program.
Results of the 2017 reconnaissance exploration program following up the
lake sediment anomalies show gold anomalies in soils and lake sediments
over a 15 kilometre long by 2 to 6 kilometre wide north-south trend and
over a 14 kilometre long by 2 to 4 kilometre wide east-west trend. The
anomalies appear to be broadly associated with magnetic highs and do not
show any correlation with specific rock types on a regional scale (see
news release dated January 18th, 2018). This suggests a possible
structural control on the localization of the gold anomalies. Historical
work 30 km north on the Quebec side led to gold intersections of up to
2.23 grams per tonne (g/t) Au over 19.55 metres (not true width)
(Source: IOS Services Geoscientifiques, 2012, Exploration and geological
reconnaissance work in the Goodwood River Area, Sheffor Project, Summer
Field Season 2011). Gold in both areas appears to be associated with
similar rock types.
The Company has 57,039,022 common shares issued and outstanding and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LAB.
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.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:12 AM on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020
Adam Smith is a bad ass Green Beret with nearly 17 years of service to his country …. who put a gun in his mouth when his PTSD simply became too much to handle. Pharma drugs prescribed by doctors were actually making his problems worse and he had nowhere to turn.  Â
More than just a story, watch his 2-minute video within our video interview with him and Hollister Biosciences CEO, Carl Saling. Be prepared. Â
Thankfully, a fellow soldier told him about CBD and Smith experienced firsthand how CBD can help retired and active-duty (military and law enforcement) ease their physical and mental issues – especially those who suffer from PTSD and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).  Â
The results were so dramatic that Smith’s new mission was to get CBD into the hands of as many soldiers as possible. He founded Tactical Relief and the rest is history. Tactical Relief creates, promotes and sells the highest quality and “most patriotic” CBD oils in the country.  Â
Yes, it’s a great business with tremendous potential for exponential growth. But profit isn’t driving this partnership between Smith and Carl Saling, who himself became very emotional when he shared his family’s deep military roots …. and struggles with PTSD. Â
As an investor in Hollister, you’ll love what this partnership can do for the company. As a human, you’ll love what this partnership is going to do for retired and active-duty military personnel. As a host, I’ve never been more proud of two guests on AGORACOM. Â
Sit back and be prepared to watch the most powerful interview ever produced by AGORACOM.  Â
Please share this video on your social networks so that military personnel and their families can discover Tactical Relief. Â
