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CLIENT FEATURE: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – Putting Your Heartbeat Into The Cloud For Instant Diagnostics $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:03 PM on Monday, March 2nd, 2020

Global Leaders in Mobile  ECG Connectivity

  • 20 years of medical credibility licensing technologies to hospitals, physicians, remote patient monitoring  platforms, research groups and commercial call centers
  • Sold into > 20 countries, with the largest customer base located in the US
  • Class II medical device clearances and device agnostic for collecting, viewing, recording, analyzing and  storing of ECGs for management of patient and consumer health
  • ECG solutions for both consumer (OTC) and medical (Rx) markets
  • Owns all IP and source code
  • Market expert contributor for reports in m‐health, mobile cardiac monitoring and new advances in  consumer health and wellness monitoring

Recent Highlights

Physician Groups Order The Heartcheck(TM) Cardibeat For In-Home Arrhythmia And Atrial Fibrillation Monitoring

  • Confirms market traction with orders being placed by physician groups for the newly launched HeartCheck™ CardiBeat Handheld ECG monitor and GEMS™ Mobile Smartphone app for prescribed in-home arrhythmia monitoring.
  • Partners in Advanced Cardiac Evaluation, the largest arrhythmia practice in Ontario (Canada) placed a first order of the HeartCheck™ CardiBeat Handheld ECG monitors and is recommending its patients to use the devices for one year of in-home, self-monitoring with an emphasis on detecting a recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation following cardiac ablation treatment for AF.

Industry News

Company Accolades

FULL DISCLOSURE: CardioComm Solutions Inc. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

Fake News In 2020 Election Puts Social Media Companies Under Siege – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:00 PM on Monday, March 2nd, 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.

Fake News In 2020 Election Puts Social Media Companies Under Siege

  • The social media giant recently unearthed hundreds of fake accounts that originated not only in Russia but Iran and Vietnam as well
  • Facebook says their purpose was clear: Sow confusion in the U.S. and ultimately disrupt the integrity of this year’s U.S. presidential contest
  • Facebook purged the fake accounts in early February, and says it has heavily beefed up its safety and security team

By: BRIAN DEAGON

The struggle to keep the 2020 election free of fake news on social media already is proving to be an uphill battle. Just ask the watchdogs at Facebook (FB) who are battling more disinformation than ever, courtesy of “deepfakes” and other new weapons of deception.

The social media giant recently unearthed hundreds of fake accounts that originated not only in Russia but Iran and Vietnam as well. Facebook says their purpose was clear: Sow confusion in the U.S. and ultimately disrupt the integrity of this year’s U.S. presidential contest. Facebook purged the fake accounts in early February, and says it has heavily beefed up its safety and security team.

Halting the flood of Facebook fake news and misinformation on other platforms is critical to social media companies. Failure on their part runs the risk of alienating loyal users and angering lawmakers, who could slap them with new regulations. And the scrutiny is sure to grow after reports this week said U.S. intelligence officials have told Congress that Russia already is meddling in this year’s elections to boost President Donald Trump’s reelection chances.

Clearly, U.S. election misinformation is a blossoming enterprise. In 2016 Russia established numerous fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter (TWTR) and the YouTube unit of Alphabet (GOOGL). In 2020 these efforts continue to expand both inside and outside Russia — and across all walks of social media. America’s enemies have put the nation’s electoral process in the crosshairs with fake news stories on social media and deepfakes, or doctored videos.

“What started as a Russian effort to undermine elections and cause chaos and basically reduce faith in our democratic institutions is now becoming a free-for-all,” said Lisa Kaplan, founder of Alethea Group, a consulting group that helps businesses, politicians and candidates protect themselves against disinformation.

Fake News On Social Media In The 2020 Election

Election meddling goes back decades, but the internet has greatly amplified the disruption. Anyone with an internet connection has a megaphone to the world. And that means governments in Russia, China, Iran and others who are less than friendly to the U.S. are actively using social media to influence the nation and its electorate, according to intelligence agencies and studies.

“Lying is not a new concept but … knowing that a majority of Americans get their news online through social media, it’s easy to misinform and manipulate people,” Kaplan said. “It makes it much easier for bad actors to launch these large-scale persuasion campaigns.”

Facebook fake news is a huge problem for the company. The same goes for Twitter and YouTube. Senior executives of these social media companies have spent considerable time over the past few years testifying at congressional inquiries and investigations.

At the same time, they’re struggling to stop a steady flow of fake news and disinformation planted on their platforms. Not only are the disinformation campaigns coming from overseas but from domestic groups as well.

FBI Director Christopher Wray says Russia continues to conduct an “information warfare” operation against the U.S. ahead of the 2020 election. Wray on Feb. 5 told the House Judiciary Committee that Moscow is using a covert social-media campaign.

“It is that kind of effort that is still very much ongoing,” Wray told the panel. “It’s not just an election cycle; it’s an effort to influence our republic in that regard.”

Anger Over Fake News On Social Media

The efforts by Russia and others have ushered in a new era of scrutiny for tech giants. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of the Democratic presidential hopefuls, has taken aim at Facebook fake news and company Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg. She chides Facebook for spreading disinformation against her and other candidates.

In late January, Warren pledged that her campaign would not share fake news or promote fraudulent accounts on social media. It’s part of her plan to battle disinformation and hold Facebook, Google and Twitter responsible for its spread.

“Anyone who seeks to challenge and defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 election must be fully prepared to take on the full array of disinformation that foreign actors and people in and around the Trump campaign will use to divide Democrats, suppress Democratic votes, and erode the standing of the Democratic nominee,” Warren said in a written statement on her campaign website.

She added: “And anyone who seeks to be the Democratic nominee must condemn the use of disinformation and pledge not to knowingly use it to benefit their own candidacy or damage others.”

More fuel to that fire came Thursday. Reports that Russia already is actively meddling in the 2020 race drew concerns from lawmakers. The news also angered Trump, who expressed fear Democrats would use the information against him in the campaign. Trump dismissed Joseph Maguire, former acting director of national intelligence, for telling the House Intelligence Committee of the interference.

Interference In 2016 Election

But election meddling woes began in 2015 with a well-funded Russian web brigade, called the Internet Research Agency. The group reportedly had 400 employees and was based in St. Petersburg, Russia. It used Facebook and Twitter to disseminate an onslaught of fake, politically charged content in an attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election.

The widespread misuse of social media came to light in early 2018 during the investigation of Cambridge Analytica, a data mining and analysis firm used by President Trump’s 2016 campaign. Through trickery and deception, Cambridge Analytica accessed personal information on 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge and used that data to target specific readers with fake stories, divisive memes and other content.

Media executives later were called before Congress to discuss what they intended to do about disinformation for 2020. Congressional probes revealed the ease of manipulating their platforms.

Facebook, Twitter and Google have responded with a slew of election integrity projects such as new restrictions on postings. They also increasingly try to root out what they call “inauthentic behavior” â€” users assuming a false identity.

In response to written questions from IBD, Facebook says the size of its teams working on safety and security matters is now 35,000, triple its 2017 level. It also created rapid response centers to monitor suspicious activity during the 2020 election.

“Since 2017, we’ve made large investments in teams and technologies to better secure our elections and are deploying them where they will have the greatest impact,” Facebook spokeswoman Katie Derkits said in a written statement.

Twitter Bans Political Ads In 2020 Election

In late October, Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey banned all political advertising from his network. Google quickly followed suit, putting limits on political ads across some of its properties, including YouTube.

“As caucuses and primaries for the 2020 presidential election get underway, we’ll build on our efforts to protect the public conversation and enforce our policies against platform manipulation,” Carlos Monje, Twitter’s director of public policy and philanthropy, told Investor’s Business Daily in written remarks. “We take the learnings from every recent election around the world and use them to improve our election integrity work.”

In September, Twitter suspended more than 10,000 accounts across six countries. The company said the accounts actively spread disinformation and encouraged unrest in politically sensitive regions.

YouTube and Google plan to restrict how precisely political advertisers can target an audience on their services.

Playing Whack-A-Mole With Facebook Fake News

Will these efforts make a difference in the 2020 election?

Research suggests social media firms will play a game of whack-a-mole. They’ve deleted thousands of inauthentic accounts with millions of followers. But that hasn’t stopped people from finding new ways to get back online and send out fake news.

In the most recent takedown of accounts by Facebook, Russia was the largest target. Facebook removed 118 accounts, groups and pages that targeted Ukraine citizens. Other Russia sites focused on its involvement in Syria and ethnic tensions in Crimea.

“Although the people behind this network attempted to conceal their identities and coordination, our investigation found links to Russian military intelligence services,” Facebook said in a blog post announcing the slate of removals.

Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said the social media company also removed 11 accounts distributing fake news from Iran. The accounts focused mostly on U.S.-Iran relations, Christianity and the upcoming election.

“We are making progress rooting out this abuse, but as we’ve said before, it’s an ongoing challenge,” Gleicher wrote.

Emerging Threat Of Deepfakes In 2020 Election

In December, Facebook and Twitter disabled a global network of 900 pages, groups and accounts sending pro-Trump messages. The fake news accounts managed to avoid detection as being inauthentic. And they used photos generated with the aid of artificial intelligence. The campaign was based in the U.S. and Vietnam.

“There’s no question that social media has really changed the way that we talk about politics,” said Deen Freelon, a media professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “The No. 1 example is our president who, whether you like him or not, uses social media in ways that are unprecedented for a president and I would say any politician.”

The other fake news threat that social media companies face is from deepfakes. The level of realism in deepfakes has increased vastly from just a year ago, analysts say.

Using artificial intelligence technology, deepfake purveyors replace a person in an existing image or video with someone else’s likeness. Users also employ artificial intelligence tools in deepfakes to misrepresent an event that occurred. Deepfakes can even manufacture an event that never took place.

“Deepfakes are pretty scary to me,” said Freelon. “But I also think the true impact of deepfakes won’t become apparent until the technology gets developed a bit more.”

Cheapfakes: A Simpler Kind Of Fake News

Simpler versions of deepfakes get the name “cheapfakes,” or videos altered with traditional editing tools or low-end technology.

An example of a cheapfake that went viral was an altered video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The edited video slowed down her speech to make her seem inebriated. That prompted right-wing cable news pundits to question Pelosi’s mental health and fitness to serve office.

YouTube removed the video. Facebook did not. Only videos generated by artificial intelligence to depict people saying fictional things would be removed, Facebook said. It eventually placed a warning label on the Pelosi video.

In January, Facebook took steps to ban many types of misleading videos from its site. It was part of a push against deepfake content and online misinformation campaigns.

Facebook said in a blog post that these fake news videos distort reality and present a “significant challenge” for the technology industry. The rules will not apply to satire or parody.

In February, Twitter changed its video policies, saying it would more aggressively scrutinize fake or altered photos and videos. Starting in March, Twitter will add labels or take down tweets carrying manipulated images and videos, it said in a blog post.

Also this month, YouTube said that it planned to remove misleading election-related content that can cause “serious risk of egregious harm.” It also laid out how it will handle such political videos and viral falsehoods.

Spreading Fake News On Social Media

But are the hurdles too high to surmount? A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study last year concluded fake news is more likely to go viral than other news. And it showed that a false story reached 1,500 people six times quicker than a true story.

As to why falsehoods perform so well, the MIT team settled on the hypothesis that fake news is more “novel” than real news. Subsequently, it evokes more emotion than the average tweet or post.

Ordinary social media users play a role in spreading fake news as well. The determining factor for whether people spread disinformation is the number of times they see it.

People who repeatedly encounter a fake news item may feel less unethical about sharing it on social media. That comes regardless of whether they believe it is accurate, according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science.

“Even when they know it’s false, if they repeatedly encounter it, they feel it’s less unethical to share and they’re less likely to censor,” said Daniel Effron, professor of Organizational Behavior at the London Business School and an author of the study. “It suggests that social media companies need a different approach to combating the spread of disinformation.”

Letting Consumers Decide On Fake News

The findings carry heavy implications for industry executives hoping to stop 2020 election fake news on social media.

“We suggest that efforts to fight disinformation should consider how people judge the morality of spreading it, not just whether they believe it,” Effron said.

After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook promised to do better, and rolled out a number of reforms. But in October, Zuckerberg delivered a strongly worded address at Georgetown University, defending unfettered speech, including paid advertising.

Zuckerberg says he wants to avoid policing what politicians can and cannot say to constituents. Facebook should allow its social media users to make those decisions for themselves, he contends.

Facebook officials repeatedly warn against significant changes to its rules for political or issue ads. Such changes could make it hard for less well-funded groups to raise money for the 2020 election, they say.

“We face increasingly sophisticated attacks from nation states like Russia, Iran and China,” Zuckerberg said. “But, I’m confident that we’re more prepared now because we’ve played a role in defending against election interference in more than 200 elections around the world since 2016.”

Source: https://www.investors.com/news/technology/fake-news-2020-election-puts-social-media-companies-under-siege/

#Wearables For #Mhealth Apps: The Future Of The Healthcare Industry SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:00 PM on Monday, March 2nd, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

Wearables For Mhealth Apps: The Future Of The Healthcare Industry

  • While the benefits of mHealth apps and wearables among the common users are well known, the benefits of its use among healthcare professionals are still unknown
  • There are various ways health wearables are changing the healthcare industry, streamlining diagnosis and treatment

By: Olivia Taylor

There’s a new technology trend in the market every day. Some of these succeed, while some of these fail to make their mark. But what happens when two very successful technology trends come together?

When the wearable technology started to enter the market, not many people gave it a second thought. Whether it’s a Bluetooth headphone, Google glasses or Apple watch. The ordinary “not-so-tech-savvy” users were not very enthusiastic about investing in these devices until they connected with another major trend in the market, the mHealth apps.

Due to the emergence of smartphones, users have been using mHealth apps for a long time already. These usages were limited to recording their health details and whatnot. But with the wearable technology, they now have a hands-on way of tracking various aspects of their health in real-time. Whether it is their blood pressure or heart rate per minute, with the integration of wearable technology in mHealth apps, the users now have the perfect way of keeping track of their health.

It will, however, be wrong of us to assume that mHealth app wearables are only limited to modern fitness bands such as Fitbits and Mi bands. Wearable devices for mHealth apps have crossed the boundaries of simply keeping track of fitness and reached healthcare professionals to help them with various complex medical diagnoses and problems. What are these problems? Let’s have a look.

Wearable Trends In mHealth App: How It Helps The Professionals?

While the benefits of mHealth apps and wearables among the common users are well known, the benefits of its use among healthcare professionals are still unknown. There are various ways health wearables are changing the healthcare industry, streamlining diagnosis and treatment.

Here are a few examples of how the emerging technology of wearables in mHealth application are helping out the professionals in the field.

Increasing Efficiency During Surgery

If we are talking about the benefits of wearables in the healthcare industry, we need to start with the increased efficiency during surgery. Performing surgery on the human body is a complicated enough procedure, but now the integration of wearables is helping the surgeons to perform even the most complicated surgeries with precision.

While previously the approach to surgery was an “Open” approach, today thanks to wearable and mHealth tech, the surgeons can apply the minimally invasive methods of performing surgery. This way they can prevent a lot of blood loss, shorter recovery time for the patients and fewer chances of infections.

Whether we are talking about the development of robotic wearable arm for surgeries or the simple application of Google Glasses, the wearable tech in mHealth apps are surely making the otherwise complex field of surgeries a lot easier to navigate.

Wearable IoT in the Healthcare Industry

IoT is already an extremely popular technology trend in the market. And when you add that to the wearable mHealth trends in the healthcare industry, you have plenty of efficient applications of wearable IoT in healthcare.

Besides the more obvious use of IoT to locate medical instruments throughout the building, the wearable IoT devices are helping the medical professionals to locate doctors within seconds during an emergency. These devices are also helping with the treatment of patients, as it is evident from the popularity of smart continuous glucose monitors and connected inhalers. With these connected devices it is easier for the medical professionals to not only diagnose the patient but treat them with accuracy.

The wearable IoT devices in the healthcare industry have proven that the amalgamation of technology with the healthcare industry is going to be extremely beneficial for both the patients as well as the doctors.

Wearable Biosensors

One of the most futuristic applications of wearable technology for mHealth apps is wearable biosensors. These small sensors are capable of providing continuous physiological information through non-invasive methods. With these sensors, healthcare professionals can measure the biochemical markers in biofluids like sweat, blood, tears, saliva, etc to keep track of the patient’s health and help the physicians to provide better treatment.

Not just for healthcare, these wearable sensors are being used by the sportspeople and military as well. With Biosensors like these, the military could actually monitor the health of their troops on the field. The medical experts can keep track of any chemical or infectious agent the soldiers can come across, providing added safety and advantage in the wars. For athletes, wearable biosensors make it easy to keep track of their vitals during training. They can easily gain a competitive edge with biosensors designed to track their health and health and performance.

Creating a Proactive Healthcare Environment

The present-day healthcare system is more reactive than proactive. The patients only go to healthcare professionals after they show the symptoms of illness. While this might be more convenient for a lot of people, it is sometimes too late for the doctors to do anything about the illness. And that’s why using medical wearables can be a perfect way of changing the healthcare system into a proactive one so that the patients can be treated ahead of time.

With proactive healthcare systems, healthcare professionals can keep a close track of the patient’s health and act fast when any irregularities occur. This way the doctors can be prepared before any medical emergency makes the scenario even worse.

Easy Monitoring of the Patients

The emerging trend of wearables for mHealth applications has now made it easy for healthcare professionals to monitor the vitals of the patients. Sensors such as the ECG sensor, health patches are the perfect gadgets to monitor vulnerable patients in real-time.

Not only among the doctors but the popularity of these wearables are increasing among the common users too. Healthcare wearables are helping them immensely to take care of their ill family members by taking proactive measures when any kind of irregularities occur in their vitals. These sensors are also perfect for those who’ve had serious surgery. The medical services providers can track their recovery even when they are at home. This way the patients don’t have to spend a whole lot of time in the hospital for recovery.

Source: https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2020/02/20/wearables-for-mhealth-apps-the-future-of-the-healthcare-industry

Indian VC industry sees record $10 billion investment in 2019 #Edtech SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:43 PM on Monday, March 2nd, 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.

Indian VC industry sees record $10 billion investment in 2019: Report

The amount was 55 per cent higher than the money invested by the industry in 2018, the report by Bain & Company’s India Venture Capital Report 2020 said. At the current exchange rate, USD 10 billion translates to over Rs 72,000 crore.

  • VC exit momentum in 2019 was in line with 2018, with secondary sales leading the mode of exits in India with an average exit value of around USD 39 million

The Indian venture capital industry invested record USD 10 billion in 2019, driven by increased deal volume and larger average deal sizes, according to a report. The amount was 55 per cent higher than the money invested by the industry in 2018, the report by Bain & Company’s India Venture Capital Report 2020 said. At the current exchange rate, USD 10 billion translates to over Rs 72,000 crore.

The report, in partnership with Indian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (IVCA), said there has been 30 per cent increase in deal volume and 20 per cent rise in average deal size in 2019 over the previous year. “Despite substantial capital deployment, dry powder availability for VC investing in India was at an all-time high of USD 7 billion at the end of 2019, indicating likely continued investment activity in 2020,” it added.

The term ‘dry powder’ refers to cash reserves kept on hand by a company, venture capital firm or individual to cover future obligations. The VC exit momentum in 2019 was in line with 2018, with secondary sales leading the mode of exits in India with an average exit value of around USD 39 million. “Despite the global economic climate, India’s startup and VC ecosystems continue to thrive as investors take a long- term view based on the country’s growth potential. We go into 2020 with record-high levels of dry powder, counter-balanced with caution and an underlying optimism in the long-term potential for the ecosystem,” Arpan Sheth, Partner at Bain & Company, said.

About 80 per cent of the VC investments in 2019 was concentrated in four sectors — consumer tech, software/ SaaS, fintech and B2B commerce and tech. Consumer tech continued to be the largest sector, accounting for approximately 35 per cent of the total investments with several scale deals exceeding USD 150 million, the report said. Within consumer tech, verticalised e-commerce companies continued to be the largest sub-segment. In addition, there were increased investments in healthtech, foodtech and edtech as well.

“The Indian VC industry had a landmark year in 2019. However, India-focused VC investments raised less funds this year, the fundraising outlook for 2020 remains positive among both LPs and GPs (Limited Partners and General Partners),” Sriwatsan Krishnan, Partner at Bain & Company and co-author of the report, said. Following the brief moderation between 2015 and 2017, the VC industry in India has been in a renewed growth phase and that is expected to continue, Krishnan added.

The Indian startup ecosystem, one of the top five globally, continued to remain robust and grow rapidly. Between 2012 and 2019, the number of startups in India increased 17 per cent each year, while funded startups increased faster at 19 per cent CAGR in the same period, the report said. Currently, of almost 80,000 startups in India, only about 8 per cent are funded, indicating room for investments, it added. The report said India-focused VC funds raised about USD 2.1 billion in 2019, slightly lower than that in 2018.

The dip was the result of marquee funds that had already raised large sums and hence did not go to the market in 2019, it added. “There is a massive pipeline of soon to be unicorns; few of the Indian Unicorns will become decacorns by 2025. All this could not have happened without the support of the current government and the exits driven by first-generation entrepreneurs in the last couple of years,” IVCA President Rajat Tandon said.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/market/indian-vc-industry-sees-record-10-billion-investment-in-2019-report/1886543/

AGORACOM Clients Attending PDAC 2020 $AFF.ca $AMK.ca $HPQ.ca $LMK.ca $NAM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:32 PM on Friday, February 28th, 2020
Image result for PDAC 2020
AGORACOM Clients Attending PDAC 2020
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.agoracom.com/public/companies/logos/564657/hub/Affinity_Metals_Corp_Logo.png

THE REGAL PROJECT

B.C.’s Next Premier

Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper Deposit?

Affinity Metals holds under option, a 100% interest in the Project, located within the northern end of the prolific Kootenay Arc, a highly prospective mineralized trend.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Massive geophysical targets for 2020
  • Past production
  • Historical reserves (non-43-101)
  • Access from Hwy 1 near Revelstoke

Booth Number 2751

Hub On AGORACOM

——————

Treaty Creeks’ GOLDSTORM zone hosts a conceptual volume of ONE BILLION TONNES rock grading close to one gram per tonne gold and is open to the north, east, and at depth.  

A major drill program is being planned for spring to develop a resource calculation. The focus has been on the gold enriched Goldstorm Zone which is on trend with, and part of, the same geological system as Seabridge Gold’s neighboring KSM deposits.

American Creek been selected to do a formal presentation at the conference. The presentation will be held on Tuesday, March 5 at 2:00PM in room #802

Booth Number 2351

Hub On AGORACOM

———————

Hpq large

HPQ Silicon Resources designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma base processes

The innovative PUREVAP “Quartz Reduction Reactors” (QRR), will permit the One Step transformation of Quartz (SiO2) into High Purity Silicon (Si) at prices that will promote considerable renewable energy potential.

Booth Number 2145

Hub On AGORACOM


High Grade Flake Graphite

Lomiko hosts high-grade graphite at its La Loutre Property in Quebec. The company is working toward a Pre-Economic Assessment (PEA) that will increase its current indicated resource of 4.1 Mt of 6.5% Cg to over 10 Mt of 10%+ Cg in order to supply and develop graphite materials for the green economy.

Booth Number 2547

Hub On AGORACOM


New age large

River Valley Project is North America’s Largest Undeveloped Primary Platinum Group Metals (PGM) Deposit

Highlights:

  • 2.9 Million Ounces Palladium Equivalent in Measured plus indicated including an additional 1.1 Million Ounces Palladium Equivalent in Inferred
  • Positive PEA showing open pit potential with a life of mine of 14 years and annual average payable Palladium Equivalent production of 119,00 ounces
  • Life of mine average operating cash costs of US$709/Oz.
  • World class metallurgical facilities 100 km’s from project
  • To date the deepest drill hole was <600m, significant potential for more ounces located at depth
  • Average drill depth is 220 metres

Booth Number 2619B

Hub On AGORACOM

CLIENT FEATURE: Hollister Biosciences $HOLL.ca – Signed $20M LOI To Acquire Venom Extracts With $16.4M CAD In 2019 Revenue and 2.48M CAD in EBITDA $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca $FAF.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:00 PM on Thursday, February 27th, 2020
HOLL:CSE /HOB:FRA

BREAKING: Signed $20,000,000 Letter of Intent To Acquire Venom Extracts (“Venom”)

HIGHLY ACCRETIVE $20,000,000 ACQUISITION

Venom Highlights

  • 2019 Est Revenue ~C$16.4M; EBITDA ~C$2.48M
  • 30% Of Acquisition Price Paid If Venom Revenues Hit $30,000,000 and $40,000,000 By DEC 31, 2021
  • Average revenue per gram YTD 2019 $CDN 14 and will continue to increase as vape cartridge mix grows ($CDN 30 per gram)
  • One Of Arizona’s Largest Producers Of Award-Winning Medical Cannabis Distillate
  • Acquisition Expected To Close By March 31, 2020 Subject To Due Diligence

An established brand in Arizona for high quality products in the wholesale and distillate marketplace. Venom is leveraging its brand and success to aggressively expand into other US states.

ACQUISITION TERMS

  • Hollister will acquire Venom Extracts for CDN$20,000,000 via Hollister stock
  • The stock price will be determined based on the greater of:
    • The 14-day VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price) capped at $0.25 subsequent to announcing the transaction and $0.20
    • Once share price is established, 70% of the Payment Shares will be issued upon closing of the transaction
    • Remaining 30% of the Payment Shares will be issued when and if the following milestones have been met on or prior to December 31st, 2021

Per State Cash Flow Expectations

Planned State Additions

FIND OUT MORE!

Hub On AGORACOM / Corporate Profile / Read Release

FULL DISCLOSURE: Hollister Biosciences Inc. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

PyroGenesis $PYR.ca Announces New Website Launch $LMT $RTN $NOC $UTX $HPQ.ca $DDD.ca $SSYS $PRLB

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:29 PM on Thursday, February 27th, 2020
  • Announced the launch of its redesigned website taking effect this March
  • Website has been revamped to include new features and improved functionality that provide instant access to essential information and features geared towards PyroGenesis’ interested parties 

MONTREAL, Feb. 27, 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, is proud to announce the launch of its redesigned website taking effect this March. The website has been revamped to include new features and improved functionality that provide instant access to essential information and features geared towards PyroGenesis’ interested parties.  

PyroGenesis’ new website will be continuously updated with business developments, events, company presentations, media mentions and press releases. Once launched, visitors are encouraged to explore the website and sign up for direct emails from the Company.

“We are happy to unveil our redesigned website which offers a clean and modern design providing a more comprehensive understanding of PyroGenesis’ technologies,” said Mr. P Peter Pascali, CEO and President of PyroGenesis. “We believe that this website will allow our visitors to have a very informative experience as we continue to grow and increase our market presence. I trust the timing of this news release is not lost on our readers.”

Of note, it is possible that, during this transition, PyroGenesis’ website may be under maintenance for a period up to 24 hours. It is also important to note that, during the weeks following the launch date, the redesigned website may be experiencing some minor technical adjustments. PyroGenesis’ team will work diligently to ensure all issues are resolved in a timely manner. The company looks forward to hearing your comments and feedback.

About PyroGenesis Canada Inc.

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] 

RELATED LINK: http://www.pyrogenesis.com/

Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca – CBD consumption to rise across the treatment of neurological conditions $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:53 PM on Thursday, February 27th, 2020

SPONSOR:

Why Empower Clinics

  • A leading owner/operator of physician staffed health and pain management clinics.
  • Patient database of over 165,000 patients 
  • Platform generating $1.4M USD (9 months ending Sept. 30, 2019)
  • Proprietary technology platforms including Electronic Health Records portal and e-Commerce for CBD product distribution
  • Recently launched CBD extraction facility
  • First extraction system capacity = 2,300 Kg per year.
  • CBD based products are poised to be a $20B global industry by 2022
  • Medical cannabis is poised to be a $100B global industry by 2025
  • Company to Create Psilocybin and Psychadelics Division Leveraging Corporate Wellness Clinics and Franchise Clinic Network

CBD consumption to rise across the treatment of neurological conditions

Research shows that CBD consumption for the treatment of neurological conditions is set to rise.

  • With an exponential rise in the availability of CBD products and public opinion towards it becoming more positive over the past decade, the consumption of the ingredient has exploded.
  • Global Market Insights, Inc., forecasts that global cannabidiol market size will be worth more than $89bn by 2026.

By: Health Europa

However, the industry will need to overcome the complex regulatory landscape as well as quality and supply challenges in the near future.

Over the past few years, cannabidiol, or CBD, has caught the public’s imagination as an ingredient presenting a range of health benefits when infused in various consumables. More and more individuals worldwide are now vouching for its effectiveness in terms of alleviating certain chronic illnesses and treating several health conditions.

CBD has conquered industry after industry, from pharmaceuticals to personal care and cosmetics, food and beverages, and nutraceuticals.

Cannabidiol is the legal and non-psychoactive counterpart of tetrahydro cannabidiol (THC), the chemical compound responsible for cannabis’s psychological effects. CBD is the second most-commonly used active ingredients of cannabis. The cannabinoid is derived directly from the hemp plant, a cousin of the cannabis plant, and forms an essential component of medical cannabis.

CBD regulatory landscape in Europe

Factors such as population growth, nationalised healthcare, GDP, and cultural historic use of CBD in many European countries make the continent an attractive market for global producers of both medical and retail cannabis-based products. Hemp cultivation in the region has witnessed a massive upsurge in recent years; the European Union (EU) constitutes more than 25% of the global hemp production.

In July last year Epidiolex CBD oil received a positive recommendation for marketing approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of seizures. EMA’s Human Medicines Committee (CHMP) approved the oral solution for use with clobazam for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in patients aged two or more.

The European Commission granted marketing approval to Epidyolex, the trade name for Epidiolex in Europe, in September 2019. Epidiolex is the only federally-approved CBD product in the U.S.

Additionally, the use of CBD in cosmetics is harmonised within the European Cosmetic Regulation 1223/2009. The regulation prohibits the use of cannabis and its derivatives in cosmetic products. Essentially, EU prohibits the use of CBD derived naturally from cannabis plants. However, the use of hemp-derived or synthetically-produced cannabidiol is approved.

Europe CBD market is poised to witness monumental growth in the forthcoming years on account of surging consumer demand for safe-strength CBD products that are easily available in their normal retail environments and cultivated, extracted, processed and labelled as per the European standards.

Growing burden of neurological diseases in Europe

Europe has witnessed a growing occurrence of various neurological conditions in recent years. These include epilepsy, migraine, stress, anxiety, and numerous sleeping disorders. An expanding geriatric population base indicates rising incidences of these conditions. Citing data from the European Brain Council, more than 220 million people in Europe suffer from at least one neurological condition, which is more than the populations of France, Germany, and the Great Britain combined.

Described below are some of the most prevalent neurological conditions in Europe and the effectiveness of CBD in their treatment.

  • Stress and anxiety – Nearly 25% of the European population suffers from stress, anxiety or depression each year. The effectiveness of CBD products as anti-anxiety nutraceuticals is backed with plenty of research, however there is still a long way to go. Several clinical trials have provided considerable evidence of cannabidiol’s usefulness for the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder;
  • Migraine – Migraine currently affects more than 11% of the global population. The social societal burden of migraine in Europe is an approximately €27bn per year. While pain medications are known to help temporarily alleviate the symptoms of migraine, they can have several side-effects. Research concerning the use of cannabidiol for migraine is limited however a number of laboratory studies suggest that CBD oil may help reduce all types of acute and chronic pain, including migraine; and
  • Seizures – In Europe, close to six. million people suffer from epilepsy, while 15 million people will have at least one seizure at some point during their lifetime. Numerous research studies over the years have demonstrated the benefits and effectiveness of hemp-derived CBD products in patients with epilepsy who have not responded to traditional treatment.

Surging popularity of cannabidiol among boomers along with ongoing research and development into its potential health benefits will augment CBD market forecast. More and more boomers are adding CBD to their health regimes to help reduce stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and alleviate chronic pain. Increasing awareness towards the safety and efficacy of cannabidiol products will drive future CBD industry trends.

Source: https://www.healtheuropa.eu/cbd-consumption-to-rise-across-the-treatment-of-neurological-conditions/98105/

#KABN NA Proposed RTO / Public Listing Update

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:18 AM on Thursday, February 27th, 2020

KABN Systems North America Inc. A Fintech platform focused on Verifying, Managing & Monetizing Online Identity. KABN’s mission is to create a world-class suite of products and services that support the decentralized market economy, globally enabling consumers to manage their digital identity and other data to create value-based relationships in the financial and loyalty services arena.

FROM THE DESK OF DAVID LUCATCH, President, Co-Founder & Director :

Good Morning.

The Management Information Circular for the Business Combination (RTO) between KABN Systems North America Inc. and Torino Power Solutions Inc. (CSE:TPS) has been publicly filed on SEDAR.   

Torino Power Solution’s Annual and Special Meeting is scheduled to be held on March 31, 2020 at 10 am PST in Vancouver. 

To view the Management Information Circular, Please visit:

https://www.sedar.com/DisplayProfile.do?lang=EN&issuerType=03&issuerNo=00036995

Click on View This Company’s Documents at the bottom left 

Select: Management information circular – English 

Dated:  February 26, 2020  

Click on the item and enter the code and view.

Happy Reading and feel free to share!

In addition to accelerating KABN NA’s business activities, during this period, we will be working with the investment community and counsel to finalize the Listing Statement for the CSE.

KABN NA will be at FFCON20 – RISE

Don’t forget to get your ticket and visit us at the 6th Annual FFCON20 on March 23rd and 24th in Toronto – click here for your discount tickets https://bit.ly/2Pj64UZ 

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out. 

My best,

David Lucatch

President, Co-Founder & Director

p: +1 416 409 4318

e: [email protected]

AGORACOM – 5 Simple & Powerful Ways For Small Cap Companies To Use Social Media

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:21 PM on Wednesday, February 26th, 2020

If you are a small cap CEO, Director or Investor Relations Officer in North America, my 23 minute interview with James Black of the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) is the most important podcast you will listen to in 2020. Not because I am the guest but because of what I have to say.

Why does what I say matter? AGORACOM surpassed 600 million page views this year, we’re averaging over 4.5M views per month on Twitter and we’ve served over 300 clients. As such, the powerful information in this podcast comes from a deep understanding of both social media, why small cap companies are failing at it and what the serious implications are of that failure.

Make no mistake about it, this isn’t some generic social media discussion. James and I go deep and I hit hard because that is what good friends do. I’m sounding the alarm because of the massive implications if I don’t.

The good news is that, if you are not an AGORACOM client, you can turn this ship around but you have to do it now and that can only be done by understanding why small caps are failing today.

I suggest that your entire management team listens to it and discusses it. Then let’s have a call to discuss what can be done.

The beauty of this audio format is you can listen to it at work or in your car / subway to and from work. I’ve done the hard work presenting this powerful information, all you have to do is press play.

Thank-you and I look forward to discussing this with you and potentially working together in 2020. Our cashless and fully compliant shares for services program should make the decision an easy one.