Agoracom Blog Home

Author Archive

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – Which tournaments attract the most #Esports bettors? $NFLX $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:29 PM on Tuesday, May 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment $GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB

———————–

Which tournaments attract the most esports bettors?

  • As competitive gaming evolves, as too has the rise in esports betting.
  • Though the exact value of esports’ betting handle is difficult to pinpoint
  • There’s a reason to believe it has now surpassed $1 billion based off Business Insider’s evaluation last year.

By Cody Luongo

As competitive gaming evolves, as too has the rise in esports betting. Though the exact value of esports’ betting handle is difficult to pinpoint, there’s a reason to believe it has now surpassed $1 billion based off Business Insider’s evaluation last year.

Each esport boasts its own unique community, ecosystem and infrastructure; despite there being several competitive gaming communities in existence, only a handful of them are fit to be a bookmaker’s product.

Though the consistency exhibited in esports such as the Overwatch League or NBA 2K League is a big motivator for bookies to offer spreads on them, there are a number of key tournaments that trump the rest when it comes to attracting significant volumes of bettors to risk. In this report, we’ll detail the leading tournaments that you’ll want to keep an eye on if you want to be involved in esports betting.

The International

Since 2011, The International, also referred to as TI, has brought forth the best esports has to offer in terms of size, viewership and of course, prize money. The annual tournament organised by Valve assembles 16 of the toughest contenders in Dota 2 from direct invites, regional qualifiers and those who amass enough Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) points through the competitive season.

Aside from establishing itself as the pinnacle of Dota 2 championships, The International’s reverence is bolstered heavily by the lofty prize amount raised each year. Dota 2 developers, Valve, contributes $1.6 million as a base amount for The International’s tournament winnings which are then passed off to the community to raise through crowdfunding; by dedicating a portion of Battle Pass sales to the total prize pool.

The International has seen a year-over-year growth since its inception – last year’s TI8 amassed a whopping $25,532,177 ($20,035,099). This year’s The International has already garnered over $12 million just two weeks into its fundraising period, with the tournament poised to kick off on August 15 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

League of Legends World Championship

Photo courtesy: Riot Gamesp

Riot Games’ League of Legends is by far the most played game in the world at the moment; the most recent report from Riot confirmed in 2016 the game boasted 100 million monthly players, which we can only assume has grown based off the lofty increase in tournament viewership over the subsequent years. When it comes to League, there is one event that stands well above the rest on the yearly calendar – the League of Legends World Championship also referred to as Worlds.

The World Championship is the annual culmination of the competitive season organised by Riot Games, currently coming up on the ninth event in the tournament’s history this November. Worlds brings together the 24 best League of Legends teams to clash over a month-long period for the game’s most prestigious title as well as the Summoner’s Cup which weighs in at 32kg.

The prestige, popularity and length of the World Championship make it a hot product for bookmakers to feature spreads on. Last year’s Worlds was just barely shy of 100 million unique viewers, orbiting similar statistics to that of the Super Bowl – and where there are viewers, there are punters. Legal Sports Report’s overview of the esports betting market in 2018 illustrated League of Legends accounts for 38% of the total handle.

If you’re looking to place a wager on League of Legends, it’s a safe bet to assume any bookmaker that carries esports will offer lines on this game. As exemplified by eSportbetting.eu’s guide to betting on League, the catalogue of sportsbooks that support the game is quite extensive – including major US fantasy sports contest provider, DraftKings.

CS:GO Major Championships

Photo courtesy: HLTV

Counter-Strike is one of the oldest and most prosperous esports today. Valve’s first-person shooter has truly withstood the test of time in our current esports panorama with a bustling ecosystem supported by tournament organisers, online platforms and big sponsors.

Counter-Strike’s large player base across a number of divisions makes for a seemingly infinite amount of offerings from bookmakers; the aforementioned study by Legal Sports Report estimates CS:GO is responsible for 29% of the betting handle, only second to League of Legends.

Though, when it comes to betting on Counter-Strike, Valve’s CS:GO Major Championship series is the choice event for punters. Since 2013, CS:GO Majors have furnished the most enthralling narratives and display of CS the game can generate; the format of the Major builds off the last by incorporating teams who can go deep enough in the previous tournament and spans across roughly three weeks.

The volume of matches between high-profile teams ramps up the number of bets placed on CS while bookmakers often capitalise on Majors by offering exclusives and specials linked to the tournament.

Recap

While there are several other tournaments such as the Overwatch League Season Finals and Call of Duty World League Championships that are able to congregate a number of bettors to wager, those mentioned above three are by far the market leaders. If you do decide to get involved in esports betting,  Esports Insider reminds you to bet responsibly!

Source: https://esportsinsider.com/2019/05/which-tournaments-attract-the-most-esports-bettors/

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Esports Entertainment Group, Esports Entertainment Group Inc., eSports Investing | Comments Off on Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – Which tournaments attract the most #Esports bettors? $NFLX $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – Improving rural #education in #India can be a game changer $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:25 PM on Tuesday, May 21st, 2019
SPONSOR:  Betteru Education Corp. Connecting global leading educators to the mass population of India. BetterU Education has ability to reach 100 MILLION potential learners each week. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

————————

Improving rural education can be a game changer

India’s high youth population won’t be of help to the economy if universal education is not achieved all over India.

  • India is relatively young as a nation with around 28 million youth population being added every year.
  • In 2020, the average age of an Indian is expected to be 29 years, while it will be 37 for China and 48 for Japan.

India Today Web Desk New Delhi May 21, 2019

Education in India has improved dramatically over the last three decades. Schools have become accessible to most children; both student enrollment and attendance are at the highest level.

The RTE Act guarantees a quality education to a wider range of students than ever before. However, challenges in teaching and learning outcomes across all regional, cultural and socioeconomic subsets prevent us from harnessing the true potential of vast human resource and keep the country educationally backward.

One of the biggest concerns is to make the present generation learners future-ready. India is relatively young as a nation with around 28 million youth population being added every year. In 2020, the average age of an Indian is expected to be 29 years, while it will be 37 for China and 48 for Japan.

However, India’s high youth population won’t be of help to the economy if universal education is not achieved all over India.

Improving education is a critical area of investment and can be a game changer to achieve sustained economic growth by tap into its young workforce. The weak foundation in primary education derails the lives, careers, and productivity of millions of our citizens. With 65 per cent of the population residing in rural India, education in rural belt truly deserves much more attention.

Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) shows that even though the number of rural students attending schools is rising, but more than half of the students in fifth grade are unable to read a second grade text book and are not able to solve simple mathematical problems. Not only this, the level of math and reading is further declining.
Some of the major problems that plague the rural education system in India are related to both quality and access of teaching learning facilities and basic infrastructure. While dearth of teachers, teacher absenteeism and poor quality of teaching are directly affecting the learning outcomes, poor and inadequate infrastructural facilities in terms of classrooms and benches, blackboards, playgrounds, toilets, water, etc, also hamper the delivery of quality education and make the school unattractive to a child.

The foundation to turn India into a strong nation has to be laid down at primary and rural levels and so the quality of education right from the beginning should be excellent. A complete reform in education system is required which should start from policies which promote talent in teaching system. Teachers are the backbone of education.

All efforts should be made to hire the best teachers, keep them engaged and motivated, reduce their absenteeism by making them more accountable and provide regular in-service training and capacity building to upgrade their skills.
To improve the student’s attendance in the schools, especially in villages, the school curriculum should involve extracurricular activities and fun-learning exercises. Education and text books should be made interesting. Textbooks related to their culture, their traditions and values should also be there so as to create their interest in studies.

The reasons behind so many drop-outs in spite of free education should be found out as this is a hurdle on the road to progress.
Sensitizing parents to make them understand the importance of education would certainly be helpful. This can be done through skits, street plays and holding meetings with the parents on a quarterly basis to make a student excel in his life. Emphasis should be given to educating a girl.

Though girl education has improved in our country a lot has to be done in this sector.
In this digital era when technology is touching every aspect of society and changing it dramatically, rural education can also greatly benefit from appropriate use of technology. Smart Classrooms which facilitate online teaching create extended classrooms for interactions and discussions. An expanded option is to record classroom courses in a real time and use it for teaching the students who cannot attend the classes. Rural education needs e-learning technologies. Apart from this, audio and video conferencing should be made part of the education system in rural India.

Teachers at the schools are not well equipped with the gadgets. So teachers should be given printers, laptops, for giving notes and notices to the students. By using technology the problem of unqualified teachers can also be solved. Dropout rates have reduced to a great extent wherever digital and computer-aided education has been introduced in rural schools.


Several initiatives in public private partnerships are playing significant role in making rural India tech savvy and in providing better education. These efforts have given positive results. We have to take proper remedial measures with a sense of urgency and create better learning environments for rural children so that they are able to participate in nation building process and reap the full potential of our demographic divided.

Authored article by Dr Neelam Gupta President and CEO AROH Foundation

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/improving-rural-education-can-be-a-game-changer-1530761-2019-05-21

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – Improving rural #education in #India can be a game changer $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Tartisan #Nickel $TN.ca – EV Metals Demand: The Calm Before The Storm $ROX.ca $FF.ca $EDG.ca $AGL.ca $ANZ.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:37 AM on Tuesday, May 21st, 2019

SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE)  Kenbridge Property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper. Tartisan also has interests in Peru, including a 20 percent equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property. Click her for more information

Tc logo in black
TN: CSE
Fact Sheet
—————————-

EV Metals Demand: The Calm Before The Storm

Matt Bohlsen

Summary

  • Right now, many cannot see the forest for the trees. By that I mean the big picture for EVs and EV metals demand.
  • What percentage of buyers do you think will buy an electric car by end 2022 if it is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, and cheaper to maintain?
  • What if 50% of buyers want to buy an electric car in 2022, and 75% by 2025.
  • In a recent British survey, 71% of British car buyers said they are considering an electric car as their next vehicle.

In this article, my goal is to remind investors that the electric vehicle [EV] and EV metal miners (lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel) opportunity is a long-term event. By this I mean the next decade or two. If as I have forecast electric cars continue to gain in popularity, then the demand boom for EVs and the EV metal miners will be unprecedented in history and we will see an EV metals super-cycle over the next decade or two.

Right now, many cannot see the forest for the trees

Quite often in investing we get so caught up in the details that we forget the big picture. In other words “we can’t see the forest for the trees.”

In the world of electric vehicle metals (particularly the key battery metals lithium, cobalt, graphite and nickel) market participants continually focus on what will happen this year, and what will stock prices do in the next 1 year. The problem here is that short-term market events can mean we sell down our stocks at the worst possible time when the market is negative and we forget to see the big picture.

Take the lithium and cobalt markets the past year. Concerns of oversupply have caused large sell-offs in the lithium and cobalt miners. Retail investors have fled the market. Does this really make sense when we look at the big picture over the next decade?

The big picture for EVs and EV metals over the next decade or two

Investors should focus on what lies ahead in the next decade or two. For example:

  • According to Bloomberg, we can expect EV sales to increase (from 2017 levels of 1.1%) 10x by 2025, 27x by 2030, 50x by 2040.
  • CNBC reported that JP Morgan forecasts “electric cars would take 35 percent of the global market by 2025 and 48 percent by 2030.”
  • The chart below compares my electric car penetration forecast to Bloomberg’s forecast.

Bloomberg forecasts annual electric vehicle sales – 30m by 2030, 60m by 2040

Source: Bloomberg research

Do these forecasts sound realistic or possible? Only readers can decide for themselves.

My view remains that by end 2022, an electric car will start to become cheaper than a conventional Internal Combustion Engine [ICE] car (assuming zero subsidies). This is based on lithium-ion battery prices falling ~16% pa, which has been the case the past decade. With 76 lithium-ion battery megafactories to be in production by about 2028 (~45 in production now) this looks highly realistic as scale and fierce competition take effect.

My model forecasts a 60kWh battery will sell for less than an ICE engine system by end 2022 (earlier for a 50kWh battery)

Source: My Model

My forecast above states by end 2022, a 60kWh lithium-ion battery will sell for US$5,300 which is less than the cost of a standard car’s engine system (includes the engine, exhaust, transmission, petrol tank, etc.).

If the above forecast is correct, it will mean a consumer by end 2022 can buy an electric car cheaper than a comparable ICE car. Furthermore, the electric car will have up to 10x cheaper running costs (electricity vs. gasoline) and up to 10x cheaper maintenance costs.

Once this happens, who would buy an ICE car if they are happy with a range of at least 208 miles or 335 kms (Tesla (TSLA) Model S 2012 model range).

The 2022 Tesla Model S

Source: TopSpeed

The chart below shows by ~2017/18, an electric car can sell cheaper than the average US conventional car, and by ~2031, an electric car can be cheaper than the lowest priced new US conventional car. In 2018, Reuters reported in ‘VW plans to sell electric Tesla rival for less than $23,000: source’ “Volkswagen intends to sell electric cars for less than 20,000 euros ($22,836).”

Electric car selling prices are forecast to fall rapidly as battery costs fall

(Source: Powur)

What percentage of buyers do you think will buy an electric car by end 2022 if it is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, and cheaper to maintain than a comparable ICE car?

Added to the above headline the electric car will have better acceleration and be more trendy than an ICE car.

Given the above, it would seem quite clear to me that most people if given the option will choose an electric car post 2022. Certainly, by 2025, when an electric car is even cheaper it would seem almost everyone will want one.

If again the above assumptions are correct, then electric car penetration rates will be way higher than my forecasts above. For example, my end 2022 forecast is at 10%, and end 2025 is at 20%. The real demand could in fact be 3-5x higher than my forecasts, and higher than Bloomberg’s forecasts. Perhaps JP Morgan’s forecasts of 35% by 2025 (and 48% by 2030) will be a better guide.

On March 1, Auto Trader UK reported:

Nearly 75% of car buyers are considering an electric car as their next vehicle. Sales of electric and hybrid cars will overtake petrol and diesel by 2030, report claims. Searches for alternative fuel vehicles on Auto Trader up by 40% in 2018. The British public’s appetite for electric vehicles is growing significantly, according to a new report published by Auto Trader. Almost three quarters (71%) of car owners said they’d consider buying an electric vehicle as their next car, which is a huge leap from the 25% who answered positively when asked the same question in 2017.

What if 50% of buyers want to buy an electric car post 2022, and 75% by 2025

Clearly, if we get to levels above 50% by 2022, the electric car industry would probably not be able to meet this demand.

For example, the lithium demand to meet 50% electric car penetration rates by end 2022 would be ~2.6mtpa. This would be almost 10x the level of lithium demand from 2018. Similar problems would occur with the other EV metals as well as the battery and electric car producers.

In other words, we could very well see a period post 2022 until perhaps 2030 where people will be on waiting lists to get an electric car. Similar to the ~400,000 list for the Tesla Model 3, but several magnitudes higher. Even the expensive Porsche Taycan (OTCPK:POAHY) already has a 20,000 waiting list.

Porche Taycan – All electric

Source: The Drive

The car companies and 76 megafactories confirm the boom is coming

BNEF forecasts by 2020 there will be over 289 different models of electric cars across the spectrum. Added to this will be electrification across the entire transport sector (limited for planes) and widespread adoption of energy storage (home, office, utility).

Source

A vision for the car of the 2020s is shown below. All electric and very trendy.

BMW iNext (OTCPK:BMWYY) exterior and interior

Conclusion

My purpose in this article is to encourage investors to think outside the box, or to have a clearer view of the big picture. Demand levels of 50% electric cars by end 2022 once an electric car is cheaper to buy/run/maintain would seem very logical.

Should this occur, then we will see an EV metals super-cycle. Waiting lists for electric cars will become normal, battery shortages the norm, and very strong EV metal prices a reality.

While 2018 and early 2019 have been bleak for the EV metal miner stocks, I would encourage investors to think beyond 2019, and towards 2022 which is less than 3 years away. The quality EV metal miners that are very oversold today may look like absolute bargains tomorrow.

I suggest to investors that 2019 is very likely the “calm before the storm of demand” for the EV metal miners.

Source: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4265357-ev-metals-demand-calm-storm

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Tartisan Nickel | Comments Off on Tartisan #Nickel $TN.ca – EV Metals Demand: The Calm Before The Storm $ROX.ca $FF.ca $EDG.ca $AGL.ca $ANZ.ca

ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – #Bitcoin and #Blockchain: The Tangled History of Two Tech Buzzwords $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:40 AM on Tuesday, May 21st, 2019

SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital Inc. (IDK:CSE) Led by legendary financier, Sheldon Inwentash, ThreeD is a Canadian-based venture capital firm that only invests in best of breed small-cap companies which are both defensible and mass scalable. More than just lip service, Inwentash has financed many of Canada’s biggest small-cap exits. Click Here For More Information.

Idk large
——————-

Bitcoin and Blockchain: The Tangled History of Two Tech Buzzwords

Alyssa Hertig

“I’m interested in blockchain, not bitcoin.”

Admit it, you’ve heard this hundreds, if not thousands, of times. (You might have even said it yourself.) And sure, people know what you’re saying, you’re talking about the “technology underlying bitcoin” and you sound smart enough.

Once it became known – or at least presumed – that you could apply cryptography in finance, in ways similar to how it’s used in bitcoin, everyone started making sure that statement fell from their lips. And that refrain – kicked off by bitcoin itself – remains powerful today.

Sounds plausible? Sure. But, interestingly, the word “blockchain” doesn’t actually appear in the original bitcoin white paper, released back in 2008. Rather, the white paper uses the words “block” and “chain” separately many times.

It describes the word “block” as the vehicle for a bundle bitcoin transactions. Then, these blocks of are linked together, forming a “chain” of “blocks.”

Snapshot from the bitcoin whitepaper (highlighting added)

So, who created this ultimate industry buzzword?

That damn blockchain

Turns out, the origins of the word are not quite so revolutionary.

“The word blockchain was never used in the early days,” former bitcoin developer Mike Hearn told CoinDesk. Although, Hearn did acknowledge that Satoshi often referred to bitcoin’s “proof-of-work chain” in discussions on forums.

It seems the first references to the word came about on Bitcoin Talk, a bitcoin-specific forum created by Satoshi, in July 2010 – more than a year after bitcoin’s release.

And at that time, these remarks weren’t about how innovative the technology was, but instead were complaints about how long it took to download the bitcoin “blockchain” (the entire history of bitcoin transactions).

While compared to today, the download would have far faster, according to one Bitcoin Talk user: “The initial blockchain download is quite slow.”

In other words, initially, blockchain was far from the sexy word it is today.

Blockchain mania

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the word really took hold.

But interest in the term seems to have sprung out of professional organizations and individuals hesitance to align themselves with bitcoin itself because of its bad reputation as the currency for drugs and gray economies.

“I think it [became popular] around the time people started going to Washington [D.C.] and trying to make bitcoin respectable by divorcing the currency from the underlying algorithms,” Hearn said.

To many, bitcoin the currency could be decoupled from bitcoin the blockchain protocol, and so a whole new industry of so-called “private blockchains,” devoid of a cryptocurrency, emerged. Sure enough, around that time in 2015, Google Trends data show the term surged.

Graph from Google Trends.

“Initially people said ‘block chain’, and then, thanks to a great PR campaign, we were blessed with the much improved ‘blockchain,’ single-word, probably thanks to a community-wide effort near and around the Bitcoin Talk forums,” long-time cryptocurrency developer Greg Slepak said.

Not only did it become one word, but it also came in vogue to describe any blockchain that wasn’t bitcoin’s blockchain as “a blockchain.” Bitcoin got to keep the terminology “the blockchain,” giving credence to the fact that it was the first.

Yet blockchain has become so divorced from bitcoin that both words typically see a similar spike when cryptocurrency prices start mooning. For instance, the word blockchain saw a huge uptick in Google searches in late 2017.

Graph from Google Trends.

World’s first blockchain?

Still, it’s unclear exactly where the idea itself begins. To some, blockchains existed even before bitcoin, although that term wasn’t applied to them back then.

For instance, cryptographer Stuart Haber, whose whitepapers on timestamping were cited in the bitcoin white paper, claims to have created the first blockchain called Surety.

According to Haber, that has to be the reason why Satoshi cited his work – three times out of just nine total citations. Surety was launched in 1995 for timestamping records, and it’s still running today.

Yet, Haber admits that his version doesn’t have all the same benefits of bitcoin since it’s centralized – managed by one company.

And that highlights where things get tricky when you’re talking about a blockchain. See, there isn’t necessarily agreement on a single definition of a the technology.

The Merriam Webster dictionary actually presents a much older word for blockchain – “a chain in which the alternate links are broad blocks connected by thin side links pivoted to the ends of the blocks, used with sprocket wheels to transmit power, as in a bicycle.”

While Google defines blockchain as:

But, for those seasoned veterans of the space, even this definition is problematic. Many of these new-age private blockchains don’t record their transactions publicly.

“The term has become so widespread that it’s quickly losing meaning,” as The Verge put it earlier this year.

Blind men

Haber pointed to an Indian parable to help explain the incompatible descriptions.

In the parable, a group of blind men come upon an elephant and start touching the animal to try and figure it out what it was in front of them.

Depending on what part of the elephant each man is touching, their answer changes. For instance, one of the blind men, touching the elephant’s trunk, thinks it’s a snake, while the other, touching the elephant’s leg, exclaims it’s a tree trunk.

It’s similar when people define blockchain, Haber said.

He told CoinDesk:

“Some definitions will be completely silly, showing that people don’t understand what they’re doing, but there will also be a bunch of accurate descriptions of various parts of the vast body of work.”

As such, he argues there isn’t just one meaning.

Even though, bitcoiners believe a blockchain can only be the one and only bitcoin blockchain, like words, definitions are always evolving and changing.

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-and-blockchain-the-tangled-history-of-two-tech-buzzwords

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bitcoin, Blockchain stocks, Canadian Blockchain Stocks, Smallcap Blockchain stocks, ThreeD, ThreeD Capital | Comments Off on ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – #Bitcoin and #Blockchain: The Tangled History of Two Tech Buzzwords $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Marijuana Company of America $MCOA Announces 504% Year-Over-Year Revenue Increase for First Quarter 2019 Financial Results $AERO $CBDS $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX $ACG $ACB $WEED.ca $HIP.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:28 AM on Tuesday, May 21st, 2019
  • Total revenues were $114,810 for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared to $19,010 for the same period prior year, representing a 504% increase year-over-year.
  • The increase was driven by growth in demand and sales of its hempSMART products in conjunction with the Company’s global expansion program.

Growth Driven by Demand and Sales of hempSMART(TM) Products

ESCONDIDO, Calif., May 21, 2019 – – MARIJUANA COMPANY OF AMERICA, INC. (“MCOA” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: MCOA), an innovative hemp and cannabis corporation, today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019.

First Quarter 2019 Financial and Operational Highlights:

  • Total revenues were $114,810 for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared to $19,010 for the same period prior year, representing a 504% increase year-over-year. The increase was driven by growth in demand and sales of its hempSMART products in conjunction with the Company’s global expansion program.
  • Gross profit for the first quarter of 2019 increased to $74,932, compared to $8,564 for the same period prior year. Gross margins expanded to 65.3% in the first quarter of 2019, compared to 45% from the first quarter of 2018.
  • Total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2019 were $989,037, compared to $302,872 for the same period prior year, as a result of increases in SG&A associated with the growth of the Company’s dedicated associate sales program for its hempSMART sales.
  • Net loss from operations was $4.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared to net income of $4.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. The previous year’s income was essentially due to gain in derivatives.
  • Usage of cash flow from operations decreased year-over-year to $207,098 for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, from a cash usage of $497,250 for the quarter ended March 31, 2018.
  • Total assets were $2,143,188 for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, an increase of 12% from $1,919,782 for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. The increase of total assets is due to an increase in cash, inventory and long-term investments that the Company made in the quarter.
  • Total liabilities were $8,087,340 for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, compared to total liabilities of $5,053,887 for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. The increase of liabilities has largely to do with derivative liabilities increasing by $2.7 million and convertible notes issued during the quarter.
  • In January, Marijuana Company of America announced that its Scio, Oregon, Hemp Project was underway alongside its 2019 hemp growers license renewal.
  • The Company experienced a successful prelaunch of its hempSMART brand in the United Kingdom in January, followed by a U.S. Patent being issued for hempSMART Brain™ in February.
  • In March, the Company entered into a Letter of Intent with Natural Plant Extract of California to form a joint venture to operate a California cannabis delivery service named Viva Buds™. The agreement was completed in April.

“Our first quarter results demonstrate our focus on laying the foundation and investments to establish our presence in the high-growth cannabis, hemp and CBD markets,” said Mr. Don Steinberg, Chief Executive Officer of Marijuana Company of America. “During the quarter, we successfully prelaunched our hempSMART line of products in the United Kingdom and promoted them at Super Bowl LIII. Our hempSMART Brain™ product was also issued a U.S. Patent, followed by the exciting news of our engagement with Natural Plant Extract of California to form a joint venture to operate a cannabis delivery service. Our passion from the beginning has been on our hempSMART wellness products, which continue to successfully generate demand and interest worldwide. As a result, we have significantly expanded our hemp research and growth business. With our powerful consortium of partners and joint venture relationships, we believe we are strategically positioned to vertically integrate our operations and further increase our revenue potential.”

“Our first quarter results reflect the full deployment of our marketing strategies for our products and our commitment to grow and strengthen shareholder value,” said Mr. Jesus Quintero, Chief Financial Officer of Marijuana Company of America.”

Further details about the Company’s financial results are available in its quarterly report on Form 10-Q, available in the investor relations section of the Company’s website at www.marijuanacompanyofamerica.com.

About Marijuana Company of America, Inc.
MCOA is a corporation that participates in: (1) product research and development of legal hemp-based consumer products under the brand name hempSMART™, which targets general health and well-being; (2) an affiliate marketing program to promote and sell its legal hemp-based consumer products containing CBD; (3) leasing of real property to separate business entities engaged in the growth and sale of cannabis in those states and jurisdictions where cannabis has been legalized and properly regulated for medicinal and recreational use; and (4) the expansion of its business into ancillary areas of the legalized cannabis and hemp industry as the legalized markets and opportunities in this segment mature and develop.

About Our hempSMART Products Containing CBD
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized CBD as a safe and effective drug for any indication. Our products containing CBD derived from industrial hemp are not marketed or sold based upon claims that their use is safe and effective treatment for any medical condition as drugs or dietary supplements subject to the FDA’s jurisdiction.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” that are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities, and words such as “anticipate,” “seek,” intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan” or similar phrases may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition and the Company’s reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov.

Contact:
[email protected]
888-777-4362

Corporate Communications Contact: 
NetworkNewsWire (NNW)
New York, New York
www.NetworkNewsWire.com 
212.418.1217 Office 
[email protected]

For more information, please visit the Company’s websites at:
MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com
hempSMART.com

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Marijuana Company of America | Comments Off on Marijuana Company of America $MCOA Announces 504% Year-Over-Year Revenue Increase for First Quarter 2019 Financial Results $AERO $CBDS $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX $ACG $ACB $WEED.ca $HIP.ca

Personas $PEEK.ca Launched in iOS and Android AppStores $IDK.ca $BCOV $AVID

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:04 AM on Tuesday, May 21st, 2019
  • Personas Social Network is now live and available for download in both the iOS and Android Appstores.
  • Company released Personas over the weekend and will be working on continuous improvements to both the service and features including, but not limited to: group chats, groups, events, the Get Popular Feature from Peeks and other innovative features.

TORONTO, May 21, 2019 — Peeks Social Ltd. (TSXV:PEEK) (OTCQB:PKSLF) (“Peeks Social” or “the Company”) is pleased to report that the Personas Social Network (“Personas”) is now live and available for download in both the iOS and Android Appstores.

The Company released Personas over the weekend and will be working on continuous improvements to both the service and features including, but not limited to: group chats, groups, events, the Get Popular Feature from Peeks and other innovative features.

Personas is an ecommerce enabled video and image sharing social network that provides users with a video chat-based payments system (ChatCash). Personas’ ChatCash service allows users to provide (and charge for) one-on-one private tutorials, consulting services, help desk services and any other service that is typically delivered through one-on-one chat.

Personas can be downloaded in either the Google or Apple Appstores.

The Peeks Social App can be downloaded in either the Google or Apple AppStores, or by visiting www.peeks.social

For further information, please contact:

Peeks Social Ltd.
Mark Itwaru
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
416-635-5339
[email protected]

David Vinokurov
Director Investor Relations
416-716-9281
[email protected]

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

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Peeks Social Ltd. | Comments Off on Personas $PEEK.ca Launched in iOS and Android AppStores $IDK.ca $BCOV $AVID

BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – #Edtech startup Cialfo raises USD 3 million Series A round $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:38 PM on Friday, May 17th, 2019
SPONSOR:  Betteru Education Corp. Connecting global leading educators to the mass population of India. BetterU Education has ability to reach 100 MILLION potential learners each week. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

————————

Edtech startup Cialfo raises USD 3 million Series A round

By Robin Moh

  • College application platform Cialfo raised USD 3 million in a Series A funding round led by DLF Ventures
  • Other participants include Enterprise Singapore’s investment arm SEEDS Capital, YK Capital, and some angel investors.

Singapore-based college application platform Cialfo raised USD 3 million in a Series A funding round led by DLF Ventures. Other participants include Enterprise Singapore’s investment arm SEEDS Capital, YK Capital, and some angel investors.

According to Cialfo’s press statement, the startup has raised more than USD 5 million to date; a figure which Cialfo thinks makes it Singapore’s best-funded education technology startup. Proceeds of this round will be used to support the company’s expansion in the US.

Stanley Chia, Rohan Pasari and William Hund founded Cialfo in 2012. The Singaporean company provides a technology platform that combines the functionalities of social messaging, task management, and Dropbox to simplify university applications by allowing for quick communication and sharing of documents among consultants, teachers, and students. Parents can also receive automated responses from the system.

The education technology company began by charging for personalization and consultation services; the platform is free to use. However, when the three co-founders later added a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model, where Cialfo sells tech-enabled services to customers from countries such as  India, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Mongolia.

The company has since sold its consultancy arm to another Singapore-based provider, ChangedEdu, in 2017.

Today, Caiflo has offices across the globe in Singapore, New York, Beijing, and New Delhi. Some of the company’s clients include India’s Oberoi International School, Singapore’s Hwa Chong Institution, China’s Beijing No. 4/BHSF, Poland’s American School of Warsaw, and Netherlands’ School of The Hague.

The company’s current plan is to increase students’ access to quality American education opportunities regardless of their background.

Editor: Nadine Freischlad

Source: https://kr-asia.com/edtech-startup-cialfo-raises-usd-3-million-series-a-round

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – #Edtech startup Cialfo raises USD 3 million Series A round $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – #HipHop & #Esports: The New Intersection Of Tech & Culture $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:21 AM on Friday, May 17th, 2019

SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The company exceeded 2018 target with $11.0 million in revenue. Learn More

Images
EGLX: TSX-V
———————————-

Hip Hop & ESports: The New Intersection Of Tech & Culture

  • As the esports industry rises in value, hip hop artists and entrepreneurs are seeing the big investment opportunities the sector provides.
  • Esports is believed to be the next wave of competitive entertainment and everyone is taking notice, since its expected to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2019.

Kori Hale Contributor

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 03: Kenny Williams of team 100 Thieves in action during Esports Call Of Duty World League at Copper Box Arena on May 03, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

As the esports industry rises in value, hip hop artists and entrepreneurs are seeing the big investment opportunities the sector provides. Esports is believed to be the next wave of competitive entertainment and everyone is taking notice, since its expected to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2019. Hip hop in perpetuity is turning up the volume on esports growth by bringing in its loyal fan base.

The Breakdown You Need to Know

Esports is a subculture of gaming and hip hop is very prominent across the industry in several capacities. However, CultureBanx noted that early research on gaming culture alluded to the lack of industry diversity, both in terms of gender as well as ethnicity, and meant that for a long time, primarily white men dominated the American-based video game industry, that has clearly changed. It’s estimated that 380 to 400 million people worldwide will watch esports this year, including 165 million regular esports viewers. Additionally, research firm Newzoo estimated $700 million was spent on esports ventures.

Hip hop’s affinity for video games is not a new found love as these artists have included video games in their rhymes since the late 80s. Entertainers such as Drake and The Weeknd are already tapping into the cash flow of esports. Drake invested in esports company 100 Thieves in October of 2018, and last month The Weeknd invested in OverActive Media, the parent company of the Overwatch League franchise Toronto Defiant. Also, Sean “Diddy” Combs put several coins into high school esports initiative PlayVS in November 2018, following a $30.5 million Series B funding round. Play VS gives high school students access to competitions and scholarships.

Other rappers including XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, 21 Savage, Lil Yachty and Trippie Redd have played games, primarily Fortnite on Amazon owned Twitch. When Drake and Tyler “Ninja” Blevins teamed up to play Fortnite back in March of 2018, the stream broke records.

Gaming Clout

Between the high viewership numbers and the billions of dollars at stake, these numbers have even captured the attention of the NBA. Last year, they held a draft for the launch of their new esports league, selecting 102 professional players in a ceremony that matched its traditional basketball draft. Also, esports isn’t slowing down any time soon and the industry is ripe for cultivating and investing in up-and-coming talent. More than 50 colleges have esports programs and offer scholarships for players. Not to mention that video games have out earned all of Hollywood’s offerings and all record label projects combined over the last eight years and counting.

Hip hop’s impact on video games through esports has played a major role in various marketing campaigns to reach new markets. For example, following  a partnership with esports group Mousesport, German streetwear chain SNIPES released a video featuring rapper Rick Ross alongside the announcement of its new collection.

Sneaker culture has long been connected to hip hop and is now being intertwined with esports. In summer 2018, Drake’s 100 Thieves entered into a partnership with streetwear and sneaker reselling platform StockX. These professionals are on the path to become celebrities in their own right and will probably start signing major sneaker deals of their own.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/korihale/2019/05/16/hip-hop-esports-the-new-intersection-of-tech-culture/#5a58b8ac2e89

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc., eSports Investing | Comments Off on Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – #HipHop & #Esports: The New Intersection Of Tech & Culture $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Appoints John Brackens, Former Activision Blizzard Manager of Network Operations, As Chief Information Officer $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:08 AM on Friday, May 17th, 2019
  • Announced the appointment of John Brackens as Chief Information Officer
  • Mr. Brackens is a senior level professional with extensive experience in startups, high-tech companies and the gaming industry, holding positions that have included CIO, COO and CTO.

BIRKIRKARA, Malta, May 17, 2019 — via OTC PR WIRE – Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (OTCQB: GMBL) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, is pleased to announce the appointment of John Brackens as Chief Information Officer.  Mr. Brackens is a senior level professional with extensive experience in startups, high-tech companies and the gaming industry, holding positions that have included CIO, COO and CTO.

During his time at Activision Blizzard, Mr. Brackens served as Manager of Network Operations, where he directed IT service management and hardware support for 4,500+ servers and 50+ million monthly active players. In addition to reducing server maintenance costs by 35%, he also improved system uptime from 97.81% to 99.99%.  Moreover, he managed technology projects including the automated detection and repair of online services and infrastructure using artificial intelligence.

Other key achievements by Mr. Brackens include the creation, execution, and monetization of the League of Gods Asia eSports series, as well as, managing a licensing application for Malta Gaming Authority and Curacao eGaming License.

Mr. Brackens stated, “I joined Esports Entertainment Group because of Grant Johnson’s commitment to providing a best in class betting experience to esports fans. Esports is going to be the leading source of entertainment in the next few years eclipsing many major traditional sports. I want to be a part of this movement. I look forward to helping drive the growth of VIE.gg through cost-effective technologies that deliver value and innovation to players and fans alike, so that everyone can enjoy all of our services as intended.”

Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group stated, “We are very pleased with the addition of John to our senior management team. His experience at the highest levels of information technology and network operations, especially within different licensing regimes, will be invaluable as the Company embarks on its aggressive growth plans within the global esports industry.” 

This press release is available on our Online Investor Relations Community for shareholders and potential shareholders to ask questions, receive answers and collaborate with management in a fully moderated forum at https://agoracom.com/ir/EsportsEntertainmentGroup

Redchip investor relations Esports Entertainment Group Investor Page: 
http://www.gmblinfo.com

About Esports Entertainment Group

Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. Esports Entertainment offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company holds licenses to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Company maintains offices in Malta, Curacao and Warsaw, Poland. Esports Entertainment common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the symbol GMBL.  For more information visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com
.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.

Contact:

Corporate Finance
+356-2757-7000 (Malta)
[email protected]

Media & Investor Relations Inquiries
AGORACOM 
[email protected]
http://agoracom.com/ir/eSportsEntertainmentGroup

U.S. Investor Relations 
RedChip 
Dave Gentry
407-491-4498
[email protected]

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Esports Entertainment Group, Esports Entertainment Group Inc., eSports Investing | Comments Off on Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Appoints John Brackens, Former Activision Blizzard Manager of Network Operations, As Chief Information Officer $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

INTERVIEW: Star Navigation $SNA.ca Discusses Strategic Agreement With AMS Heli Design Providing Real-Time Patient Information and Flight Tracking

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:00 PM on Thursday, May 16th, 2019

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in AGORACOM Via Satellite, All Recent Posts, Star Navigation Systems (SNA: CSE) | Comments Off on INTERVIEW: Star Navigation $SNA.ca Discusses Strategic Agreement With AMS Heli Design Providing Real-Time Patient Information and Flight Tracking

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »