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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – Global Esports Economy will Exceed $1 Billion This Year $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:25 AM on Wednesday, February 20th, 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

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Global Esports Economy will Exceed $1 Billion This Year

  • Growing popularity and viewership of esports across the world has given rise to plenty of leagues and tournaments over the past few years.
  • So much so that the global esports revenue is expected to hit $1.1 billion this year.

Pooja Singh Features Editor, Entrepreneur Asia Pacific

The growing popularity and viewership of esports across the world has given rise to plenty of leagues and tournaments over the past few years. So much so that the global esports revenue is expected to hit $1.1 billion this year.

According to predictions from leading analysts at market research company Newzoo, the esports market will for the first time exceed the billion-dollar revenue mark, a year-on-year growth of 26.7 per cent. Newzoo’s “2019 Global Esports Market Report” estimates the global esports audience will grow to 453.8 million worldwide in 2019, a year-on-year growth of 15 per cent, and will consist of over 200 million esports enthusiasts and more than 250 million occasional viewers. As the esports market matures and the number of local events, leagues, and media rights deals increases, we anticipate the average revenue per fan to grow to $6.02 by 2022, the report says.

“Esports’ impressive audience and viewership growth is a direct result of an engaging viewership experience untethered to traditional media,” says Newzoo chief executive Peter Warman. “Plenty of leagues and tournaments now have huge audiences, so companies are positioning themselves to directly monetize these Esports Enthusiasts. While this began happening last year, the market is constantly expanding on its early learnings. The result: 2019 will be the first billion-dollar year for esports, a market that will continue to attract brands across all industries,” he adds.

Investment is the Driver

Endemic and non-endemic brand investments (media rights, advertising, and sponsorship), the report says, will make for 82 per cent of the total market. The highest-grossing individual esports revenue stream worldwide is sponsorship, generating $456.7 million in 2019. The fastest-growing esports revenue stream by far is media rights, it adds.

Besides non-endemic brands, digital broadcasters and TV media companies have already started to compete for esports content and the extent to which these deals will generate a direct return on investment will impact the pace of media rights growth. Other ongoing developments that have high revenue potential include increased esports franchising, new content formats and premium passes, the success of mobile gaming, team profitability, and the success of new focus on professionals and streamers as brands.

Considering the current growth, Newzoo estimates the esports market will reach $1.8 billion by 2022. If any of these factors accelerate, a more optimistic scenario places revenue at $3.2 billion, it says.

The China Effect

As per the report, China will generate $210.3 million in revenue this year, overtaking Western Europe as the second-largest region in terms of revenue. The country is notable for the growing popularity of mobile esports, including casual titles.

North America, meanwhile, will once again be the largest esports market, with revenue of $409.1 million. The report predicts that it will show strong growth toward 2022, reaching $691.1 million. The largest share of North America’s 2019 esports revenue will come from sponsorship, at $196.2 million. Meanwhile, media rights will contribute most to this growth and will remain the fastest-growing and second-largest esports revenue stream in the region.

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/328025

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New Age Metals Inc. $NAM.ca – #Palladium eyes $1,500 in record surge; gold hits 10-month high $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:01 PM on Tuesday, February 19th, 2019

SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc. (TSX-V: NAM) The company’s new Lithium Division has already made significant acquisitions in Canada and the USA. The company also owns one of North America’s largest primary platinum group metals deposit in Sudbury, Canada. Learn More.

NAM: TSX-V

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Palladium eyes $1,500 in record surge; gold hits 10-month high

Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images Gold will continue to shine amid a weak dollar, says author and gold pro Jim Rickards.

  • Palladium scaled a record peak to within striking distance of the $1,500 level on Tuesday fuelled by a sharp supply deficit, while bullion rose 1 percent to hit a 10-month high on a weaker dollar and global growth jitters.
  • Spot palladium was up 1.68 percent at $1,481.50 per ounce by 2:02 p.m. EST, having earlier soared to an all-time high of $1,491.

A sustained deficit in supply was likely to widen this year as stricter emissions standards increase demand for catalytic converters, Britain-based autocatalyst manufacturer Johnson Matthey said last week.

Adding to an already strained supply scenario for palladium, was the likelihood of an improvement in demand from the auto sector, given the expectations of a U.S.-China trade deal materializing, said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategies at TD Securities in Toronto.

“If we were already high and tight when the demand environment didn’t look all that promising, we are certainly going to get tighter when demand improves,” he said.

A new round of trade talks between Washington and Beijing was scheduled for Tuesday.

While both platinum and palladium are primarily used by automakers in catalytic converters, platinum is more heavily used in diesel vehicles, which have fallen out of favour since Volkswagen’s emissions-rigging scandal broke in 2015.

Unlike platinum, palladium has benefited from the switch away from diesel engines and expectations for growth in hybrid electric vehicles, which tend to be partly gasoline-powered.

This has helped cushion the metal from falling car sales globally.

However, analysts said palladium has risen too fast too soon and was bound for a correction.

“Palladium is a bubble and is moving much above what fundamentals suggest,” said Gianclaudio Torlizzi, managing director at consultancy T-Commodity in Milan.

Meanwhile, the dollar backed away from a two-month high hit last week on increasing optimism for a breakthrough in the trade talks, bolstering appeal for gold.

Spot gold gained 0.86 percent to $1,337.51 per ounce, having earlier touched its highest since April 20 at $1,341.18. U.S. gold futures settled $22.70 higher at $1,344.80.

“We are getting more evidence of slowing (global) growth,” said SP Angel analyst Sergey Raevskiy.

“There were some dovish comments from Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank.”

Dovish signals from Japan’s central bank and the ECB compounded worries over a global slowdown, and followed weak data from the United States and China.

Also, investors will scan the minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s last policy meeting on Wednesday for more guidance on interest rate increases this year. Higher rates tend to weigh on non-yielding gold.

Among other precious metals, platinum gained 1.9 percent at $817.23 per ounce, while silver rose 0.92 percent to $15.94.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/19/gold-markets-dollar-us-china-trade-in-focus.html

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North Bud Farms Inc. $NBUD.ca – Cannabis-Infused Beverages to Launch in Canada by This Fall $ACB $WEED.ca $HIP.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:44 AM on Tuesday, February 19th, 2019

SPONSOR: North Bud Farms Inc. (NBUD:CSE) Sustainable low cost, high quality cannabinoid production and procurement focusing on both bio-pharmaceutical development and Cannabinoid Infused Products. Click Here For More Information

NBUD: CSE

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Cannabis-Infused Beverages to Launch in Canada by This Fall

For some brand-name beverage companies, this launch date can’t come quickly enough.

  • Marijuana investors are bubbling over with excitement, and who can blame them as this once-taboo industry ramps up production and rolls out the red carpet for consumers
  • Last year, Canada wound up ending nine decades of recreational marijuana prohibition and became the first industrialized country in the world to give the green light to adult-use weed.

  Sean Williams (TMFUltraLong) Feb 19, 2019 at 7:21AM

Marijuana investors are bubbling over with excitement, and who can blame them as this once-taboo industry ramps up production and rolls out the red carpet for consumers.

Last year, Canada wound up ending nine decades of recreational marijuana prohibition and became the first industrialized country in the world to give the green light to adult-use weed. According to some estimates, this should allow the Canadian weed industry to grow sales to nearly $6 billion a year by 2022. Taking into account that two-thirds of all U.S. states have legalized pot in some capacity, and Mexico is getting ever closer to a broad-based legalization of weed, the North American market is looking very conducive to investment.

Image source: Getty Images.

Most alternative marijuana products aren’t legal right now

However, the marijuana industry isn’t nearly as cut and dried as you might think. It’s about more than simply growing dried cannabis flower and selling it. In fact, if growers simply chose to focus on dried flower, they’d probably get creamed if the U.S. states of Colorado, Washington, and Oregon serve as an example. Over time, dried marijuana flower becomes an oversupplied and commoditized product, leading to a decline in per-gram pricing and reduced margins for those weed companies that lack portfolio diversity.

In order to combat this, growers need to think outside the box. The way they do this is by focusing on alternative cannabis product options, such as cannabidiol (CBD) oils, vapes, sublingual sprays, lotions and balms, edibles, and cannabis-infused beverages. These are significantly higher-priced and higher-margin products than traditional dried flower, and they’re far less susceptible to future pricing pressure relative to dried cannabis.

But there’s just one problem: Most of these alternative products aren’t legal — even in Canada. When the Cannabis Act was passed by Parliament, dried flower, sublingual sprays, and cannabis oil were given the green light, while edibles and infused beverages, arguably the two most attractive means for retailers to drive foot traffic and lure in first-time consumers, have remained illicit. Thankfully for growers and investors, this is soon to change.

Recently, Health Canada outlined its game plan on alternative consumption options. The goal, per the regulatory agency, is to have all alternative cannabis products, with the exception of infused beverages containing alcohol, approved for sale by no later than Oct. 17, 2019, which would mark the one-year anniversary of recreational weed going on sale in Canada. As such, brand-name beverage companies and their cannabis partners are preparing for launch.

Image source: Getty Images.

Beverage makers and pot stocks are bubbling with anticipation

The expected release of cannabis-infused beverages can’t come a moment too soon for Molson Coors Brewing (NYSE:TAP), which became the first major beverage producer to announce a joint venture or partnership with a pot grower last year. The joint venture between Molson Coors and HEXO (NYSEMKT:HEXO), known as Truss, is expected to begin putting nonalcoholic cannabis-infused beverages on retailers’ shelves by this fall.

Last week, Molson Coors reported its fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year earnings, and they demonstrated just how badly a spark is needed for this company. Sales in the U.S. and Canada, which have traditionally been its bread-and-butter markets, fell 7% and 5%, respectively, on a constant-currency basis during the fourth quarter. The company’s market share of the beer market in Canada has, in particular, been falling precipitously for about a decade. With the exception of the company’s limited but growing premium beer offerings, its major beer brands have really been a drag. And as icing on the cake, tax accounting errors forced it to restate its full-year 2016 and 2017 results. 

Being able to work with HEXO to put a premium product in front of consumers, and having 57.5% ownership in the Truss joint venture, with HEXO owning the remainder, puts Molson Coors in the driver’s seat to reap the rewards of an expanded beverage portfolio. 

Image source: Getty Images.

The big question

What remains to be seen is if cannabis-infused beverages will actually be needle movers for any of the companies involved.

For a smaller company like HEXO, which is still in the relatively early stages of ramping up production capacity and aiming for its 108,000 kilograms in peak annual output, a 42.5% share of infused beverage sales come the fourth quarter of the existing calendar year could be quite nice. With just over 75 million Canadian dollars in sales expected in fiscal 2019, infused beverage sales as a percentage of total sales will likely be higher at HEXO than at any other company.

As for Molson Coors Brewing, this is a company that regularly generates close to $11 billion in annual sales. Although it might be the first beverage maker to have really dipped its toes into the pond, it won’t be the last. Competition is building, and there are no guarantees that it will provide much of a lift to the company’s sliding Canadian sales. Mind you, I’m not faulting Molson Coors one iota for moving into the cannabis space, which is a smart maneuver from a growth perspective. But expecting infused beverages to be a panacea for its North American sales slide is probably being far too optimistic.

Source: https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/02/19/cannabis-infused-beverages-to-launch-in-canada-by.aspx

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Coinbase Acquires #Blockchain – Tracking Startup Neutrino for Undisclosed Price $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:10 AM on Tuesday, February 19th, 2019
  • Coinbase has acquired blockchain analytics startup Neutrino as part of a wider push to offer more diverse crypto assets across borders.
  • “This is particularly important as we work with regulators and agencies in different countries to bring new assets there,” Coinbase’s director of engineering and product, Varun Srinivasan, told CoinDesk

Leigh Cuen

Coinbase has acquired blockchain analytics startup Neutrino as part of a wider push to offer more diverse crypto assets across borders.

“This is particularly important as we work with regulators and agencies in different countries to bring new assets there,” Coinbase’s director of engineering and product, Varun Srinivasan, told CoinDesk. He added that Neutrino would help Coinbase identify “which new tokens are gaining value and gaining traction in the space.”

Neutrino’s eight employees will move into Coinbase’s London office this week, retaining their distinction as a separate entity in order to continue serving external clients. Srinivasan said this acquisition will help Coinbase research new assets while simultaneously ensuring the cryptocurrency exchange can identify undesirable activity, like theft, without handing over internal information to external companies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The move comes just a few weeks after Israeli blockchain analytics firm Whitestream identified a Coinbase account that was funneling bitcoin donations to the Palestinian military-political group Hamas, which the U.S. government deems a terrorist organization. Coinbase declined to comment on this incident and Srinivasan said the Neutrino acquisition was already in the works for some time.

Broadly speaking about the benefits of owning an in-house analytics platform, Srinivasan said: “We are beefing up our abilities to do compliance and to work with regulators on issues across the space.”

Neutrino CEO Giancarlo Russo said in a statement that the acquisition was an “important milestone” for innovation in Italy, where it is based, adding:

“We decided to join Coinbase because we’re totally aligned with the company’s mission of building an open financial system and we share the same commitment to regulation, compliance and security in the cryptocurrency space.”

Compared to its competitors, such as Whitestream and Chainalysis, Srinivasan said the Neutrino team was working much faster to include features for cryptocurrencies beyond bitcoin. Plus, Neutrino’s European connections could help Coinbase gain a foothold in that region.

“They’ve done a really good job of building up in the European market,” Srinivasan said. “But we want to bring them to the American market and the international market and introduce them to companies that are doing all kinds of things with crypto that need blockchain intelligence.”

Srinivasan prefers the term “blockchain intelligence,” rather than analytics because it includes the aim to predict trends based on data insights, among other applications.

Rising sector

Blockchain analytics is becoming an increasingly important part of the broader cryptocurrency landscape.

Jonathan Levin, co-founder of the rival blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, told CoinDesk his company is now working with 100 clients across the industry, including exchanges.

While Coinbase was busy acquiring Neutrino, Chainalysis raised a $30 million Series B and opened a new office in London, preparing to expand even further into the European market now that the European Union’s Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive is expected to inspire new compliance requirements in several countries.

“Our revenue in 2018 quadrupled,” Levin told CoinDesk, declining to specify how much Chainalysis earned. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in demand across the board. And that’s because we’ve seen greater clarity in regulation, in APAC [the Asia-Pacific region] and in Europe.”

Coinbase has a significant amount of historical data that could help differentiate Neutrino from younger analytics startups. Overall, Srinivasan said Coinbase is looking to become the “Google of crypto” with “many different products” across the sector.

Srinivasan also added that several other acquisitions are still in the works related to smart contracts and diversifying crypto-asset offerings.

“If we see a really great team that’s built a really great product, like Neutrino, for example, you’ll see us go out and talk to them and try to bring them into the Coinbase family to extend the suite of products that we have,” Srinivasan said.

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/coinbase-acquires-blockchain-tracking-startup-neutrino-for-undisclosed-price

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PyroGenesis $PYR.ca Signs Pre-Tolling Agreement with Major Aluminum Smelter in the Middle East

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:44 AM on Tuesday, February 19th, 2019
  • Entered into a pre-tolling agreement with a major aluminum smelter in the Middle East, the name of which remains confidential for competitive reasons
  • Agreement outlines the next steps to enter into a final tolling arrangement, which includes a formal demonstration of the Company’s proprietary DROSRITETM System at the Client’s facility.

MONTREAL, Feb. 19, 2019 — PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (http://pyrogenesis.com) (TSX-V: PYR) (OTCQB: PYRNF) (FRA: 8PY), a TSX Venture 50® high-tech company, (the “Company”, the “Corporation” or “PyroGenesis”) that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma atomized metal powder, plasma waste-to-energy systems and plasma torch  products, announced today that the Company has entered into a pre-tolling agreement (the “Agreement”) with a major aluminum smelter (the “Client”) in the Middle East, the name of which remains confidential for competitive reasons.

PyroGenesis’ DROSRITE™ system is a proven, salt-free, cost-effective, sustainable process for maximizing metal recovery from dross, a waste generated in the metallurgical industry. PyroGenesis’ patented process avoids costly loss of metal, while reducing a smelter’s carbon footprint and energy consumption, thus providing a high return on investment. The system has been designed to process and recover valuable metals such as aluminum, zinc and copper from dross. Of note, a tolling service arrangement is one in which a smelter provides dross to a third party to be processed for a fee either on or off site.

The Agreement outlines the next steps to enter into a final tolling arrangement, which includes a formal demonstration of the Company’s proprietary DROSRITETM System at the Client’s facility. This will demonstrate to local authorities that DROSRITE™ can process the Client’s dross in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner. The trials are expected to further demonstrate that DROSRITE™ can be used to recover aluminum from the Client’s dross without the addition or use of fluxing salts, resulting in a non-hazardous residue which can then be utilized by other industries, thereby closing the loop in dross processing.

Prior to entering into this Agreement, the Client conducted its own independent analysis and concluded that the DROSRITE™ technology should have a significantly higher recovery rate than their current practices, and embraced the fact that the DROSRITE™ System does not use salt and, therefore, unlike other processes, does not produce hazardous salt-cakes as a by-product.

Once demonstrated, the Agreement anticipates that the Client will engage PyroGenesis to build, install, and operate a DROSRITE™ plant, with the potential for additional Systems, to process their hot dross on-site, recover and return the metallic aluminum to the Client, and manage the resulting non-hazardous residue. The terms and conditions of any eventual tolling agreement will be based on demonstration economics, which is expected to be completed in Q2, 2019.

PyroGenesis’ DROSRITE™ tolling service has two forms of revenues: (i) a traditional tolling fee per metric tonne of dross processed, which ranges widely depending upon the region, and is typically up to US $450 per ton, and (ii) a bonus, which is based upon the increase in aluminum recovery uniquely generated by PyroGenesis’ DROSRITE™ technology, and which is typically between 10-20%.

PyroGenesis leverages DROSRITE™â€™s non-hazardous salt-free process to address increased environmental regulations.

“Not only is PyroGenesis’ DROSRITE™ technology game-changing in its own right, as it operates on-site with increased aluminum recovery, but at the same time it addresses the environmental issues associated with dross, which are becoming critical for aluminum smelters around the world, and particularly in the Middle East,” commented Mr. David D’Aoust, Sales Manager – DROSRITE™ of PyroGenesis. “In nearly all the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, the environmental authorities have tightened their restrictions on dross management with the goal of eliminating landfills with hazardous dross or residue by-products, such as salt-cakes, which are produced by traditional dross processing technologies. It is now imperative that dross be managed in an environmentally friendly fashion, which speaks to the urgent need for PyroGenesis’ DROSRITE™ technology to service the rapidly growing aluminum industry. We are highly confident this will be a successful demonstration, based on the outstanding results we have generated to date.”

The Client allows PyroGenesis to showcase DROSRITE™ to other potential customers in the region.

The Client also agreed to allow PyroGenesis to showcase the DROSRITE™ System to other local aluminum smelters who are also prospective clients for the DROSRITE™ System, and who are similarly looking for salt-free, environmentally friendly, solutions for the processing of their dross.

“We are happy to have the opportunity to showcase the DROSRITE™ technology with the support and backing of this Client,” said Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “I believe this underscores the impact DROSRITE™ is having in the industry and, additionally, the unique environmental benefits it provides.”

DROSRITE™ demonstrates significant advantages over current practices, and is becoming the high-tech alternative with additional unique environmental benefits.

“PyroGenesis’ on-site DROSRITE™ tolling services address all of the environmental concerns in dross management at its head,” said Mr. Pierre Carabin, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Strategist of PyroGenesis. “Existing technologies continue to propose salt-based processing technologies, and address the resulting hazardous salt-slag wastes by developing complex post processing, salt-slag washing technologies. This results in an unwieldy three-step offering: (i) the smelter must cool the dross and transport it off-site, losing valuable metal in the process, (ii) the dross is then processed with a salt-based technology producing hazardous and toxic salt-slag residues, and (iii) the now highly contaminated salt-slag residues must be transported to a third facility, which is specifically designed to wash the salt-slag and process the material back into a non-hazardous material. By contrast, PyroGenesis’ patented DROSRITE™ technology is a simple and cost-effective one-step-solution with high return on capital for the client.  Specifically, hot-dross is processed on-site, at the smelter, with zero hazardous salt-slag waste byproducts.”

PyroGenesis, together with its Japanese partner, advance on multiple tolling opportunities.

Mr. P. Peter Pascali added, “In addition to this latest Agreement, we are actively pursuing other tolling arrangements through our new, multi-billion-dollar global partner headquartered in Japan, which we announced in November, 2018. Our business development team, together with our Japanese partner’s upper management, recently returned from our first series of on-site customer visits, all of whom requested moving forward to the next step. This contract, along with other discussions we are having with various players worldwide, should enable us, together with our Japanese partner, to provide a cookie-cutter offering, and rapidly roll out our on-site tolling business worldwide.”

About PyroGenesis Canada Inc.

PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a TSX Venture 50® 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 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: Clémence Bertrand-Bourlaud, Marketing Manager/Investor Relations, Phone: (514) 937-0002, E-mail: [email protected]  

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

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Good Life Networks $GOOD.ca – 6 ad trends you need to know $TTD $RUBI $AT.ca $TRMR $FUEL

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:59 PM on Friday, February 15th, 2019
SPONSOR: Good Life Networks (GOOD:TSX-V) Video advertising is the future! Company’s A.I. makes 80,000 calculations / second, targeting 750 million users to deliver higher prices and volume. Company announced combined trailing 12 month revenue at just over $40 Million, $7.9M EBITDA, $3 Million net income. Click here for more information.
GOOD: TSX-V

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6 ad trends you need to know


  • With colourful banner ads and video content competing for eyeballs, it can be easy for advertisers to forget about the power of audio.
  • But as we enter 2019, this programmatic opportunity is becoming harder to ignore.

With the holidays over, this is the time to reflect and fine-tune strategies for the year ahead. 2018 was a whirlwind of changes, and it continues to be a challenge differentiating your brand and maintaining trust in a world where everyone is vying for attention. The more you can stay ahead of the curve, the better equipped you will be to adapt to those changes as they occur. So what should advertisers and marketers start taking note of?

Ad Technology: Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is completely reshaping advertising as we know it, and is now a standard part of an advertising company’s repertoire. So how’s AI going to be different in 2019? For the past couple of years, it has been widely considered a transformative technology on the verge of disrupting every major industry; however, it hasn’t yet been implemented broadly enough to unlock its true value.

That’s all going to change. AI is expected to be widely adopted across the digital ad landscape in 2019, from being the basis for cutting-edge AI-based ad targeting solutions, to building personalized consumer experiences on a daily basis. Advertisers are even using AI in the production process: a recent survey found that almost two-thirds of enterprise marketers expect to use AI in their content marketing strategy this year, mostly to better understand their customers, drive productive and create personalized message

Sound of success

With colourful banner ads and video content competing for eyeballs, it can be easy for advertisers to forget about the power of audio. But as we enter 2019, this programmatic opportunity is becoming harder to ignore. In fact, audio takes up the largest proportion of mobile phone usage, with the average consumer listening for 52 minutes every day. Driven by growing mobile device ownership – and compounded by the rise in streaming radio, podcasts, audiobooks and voice assistants – digital audio is here to stay.

Spotify was an early-mover in offering programmatic audio, and other streaming services are following suit. Growing adoption rates among voice-activated smart home speakers and subscription services lend further momentum to this trend, and as these technologies evolve, so do the opportunities for brands to connect with audiences in new and exciting ways.

This year, digital audio is expected to reach marketplace maturity as an ad medium. If advertisers want to tap into today’s key trends and reach audiences more effectively, they need to consider programmatic audio as part of any well-rounded campaign.

The explosive growth of eCommerce

According to an eMarketer study, the ecommerce sector is estimated to experience double-digit growth until 2021, with sales expected to exceed $4 trillion by 2010. Few industries can boast such an illustrious future, and businesses need to initiate innovative changes to take advantage of the ecommerce boom, or risk falling behind.

In particular, expanding middle class populations, extensive mobile and internet penetration as well as improving logistics and infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific  has led to it becoming the world’s largest retail ecommerce market, with sales expected to reach $2.725 trillion by 2020.

A surge in video content, personalized ads, advanced filtering and immersive digital experiences are just a few of the changes in ecommerce that will affect the advertising industry over the next few years. The potential here is massive, and if implemented correctly, can completely change how users interact with advertisements altogether.

Everything is now on-the-go (OTG)

Less than 50 years ago, mobile phones didn’t exist. But today, it’s near impossible to imagine life without one. In fact, an estimated 84% of people can’t go a single day without their phones! We use them on a daily basis for communicating, navigating and even shopping, dubbed mCommerce.

The Asia Pacific region is leading the drive for mCommerce, with India, Thailand and Indonesia having the highest mobile wallet adoption rates. Mobile payments in China alone dwarfed those in the U.S. by more than 25,000% over a recent 10-month period, with USD 12.8 trillion changing hands in China compared to only USD 49.3 billion in the U.S. The rate of adoption across sectors such as retail, financial and on-demand services –from food delivery to ride sharing – has played a crucial role in this rapid growth.

Before, it was mobile phones that drove more online screen time. But now the human behaviour of doing everything while on the go is driving mobile phones sales.

Less ads, more storytelling

A 2015 report by Nielsen found that respondents trusted recommendations from people they know the most. This was followed by branded websites, editorial content, such as newspaper articles, and consumer opinions posted online. By comparison, obvious advertisements trailed behind in the list of advertising format that people trusted.

As part of an effort to increase trust and authenticity, brands are starting to work with micro-influencers as opposed to social media personalities with larger followings. Micro-influencers appear more relatable, engaging and reliable to their audience, and tends to be more knowledgeable or have followers more suited to a brand’s particular niche.

In addition, content has to be relevant. It might sound like common sense but it’s easy for brands to forget that the story they tell won’t be hugely exciting for everyone. Our experience has shown that brands needs to be smart with their storytelling or risk getting lost amongst the clutter.

With this in mind, advertisers are adapting by creating content that consumers enjoy. Short, 6-second video ads and longer interactive ads that can’t be skipped tend to have higher rates of interaction from consumers. A new type of ad has also emerged in China to play during breaks of online TV dramas. These ads utilize the TV shows’ original content and narrative arcs, and feature the same actors in their on-screen costumes, piquing the audience’s interest by making the ad almost indistinguishable from the original content. This type of advertising was projected to surpass 2 billion yuan (US$311 million) in sales revenue this year alone, and we predict this figure will only continue to grow over the next year.

The establishment of the outcome media economy

A recent report looking into digital marketers’ top media investment priorities for the next 12-24 months found that 86% of respondents around the world expect to increase their investment in outcome-driven media over this period. The term ‘outcome-driven media’ refers to planning and optimizing campaigns against KPIs – often tailor-made for an advertiser or campaign – that are much more closely aligned to the marketer’s ultimate marketing and business goals.

While results showed some variation across regions, industries, and level of digital media investment, there is a clear trend that marketers across the globe are united in their desire to continuously improve and the way that they measure the value of their efforts.

Anyone tasked with growing a brand’s exposure needs to be able to confidently address growing media complexity and understand the impact of campaigns on business results. So it’s no surprise that marketers in our day and age hunger for new ways to measure their efforts and demonstrate the real effect their media placements have on their company’s bottom line.

In conclusion

As with any industry, advertising isn’t perfect, and it will never be. But the future of advertising is bright. As advertisers become more familiar with the full potential of AI and mobile, they will deliver more personalized experiences to consumers, as well as improved results and more sophisticated insights to clients. And as advertisers start to tap into greater creativity, brands will find it easier to draw genuine interest and build closer connections with consumers.

These are my top trends to look out for as you think about your advertising or marketing strategy for the upcoming year. While there’s no magic formula to building the perfect advertising strategy, paying attention to these six areas will help you stay ahead of the pack.

Source: https://www.marketing-interactive.com/6-ad-trends-you-need-to-know/

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CLIENT FEATURE: Bougainville Ventures $BOG.ca a Turnkey Greenhouse Growing Infrastructure Provider $CROP.ca $VP.ca NF.ca $MCOA

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:09 PM on Friday, February 15th, 2019

BOG: CSE

  • Landlord for licensed marijuana growers in the United States
  • Brilliant business plan that removes all risk and appeals to traditional real estate investors
  • Bougainville does not “touch the plant” by only providing agricultural infrastructure to tenants
  • Converts irrigated farmland to greenhouse-equipped farmland
  • Signed Second Tenant for 21,000 SQF Lease
  • Ready for occupancy
  • Room for expansion
  • JV Agreement with Marijuana Company of America (MCOA:OTC)
  • MCOA invested $1M in cash

Early estimates show a greenhouse can produce twice the amount of product and at least
less than 50% of the cost compared to warehouse production.

Oroville, Washington

  • Construction complete of greenhouse optimized for low-carbon and sustainable operations
  • Facility projected to produce in excess of 12,000 lbs. of high quality cannabis per annum upon completion of all greenhouses
  • I-502 compliant property ready for tenant-grower occupancy
  • Entered into an agreement with Green Venture Capital Corp., to purchase the balance of a 4 acre property
  • 50% + senior water right holder on the main stem of the Eden Valley Aquifer and two supplemental groundwater wells
  • Entered into a lease agreement with a Tier 3 I-502 production and processing license holder
  • Leadership has local farming knowledge and relationships 
  • Room for further expansion

Turnkey Growing Facilities

Development Phases

Hub On AGORACOM

FULL DISCLOSURE: Bougainville Ventures is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

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ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – Mass Adoption is Coming: The Biggest US Automaker Turns to Blockchain to Help Save Millions in Identity Theft $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:59 AM on Friday, February 15th, 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
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Mass Adoption is Coming: The Biggest US Automaker Turns to Blockchain to Help Save Millions in Identity Theft

  • General Motors Financial has partnered with blockchain company Spring Labs to help reduce identity theft.
  • It’s a move that could potentially save the car maker millions of dollars in fraud costs.

Ben Brown

As CCN previously reported, 95% of carmakers expect to use blockchain technology in the next three years, but General Motors is leading the pack.

The partnership will see GM Financial, the finance branch of General Motors, join Spring Labs’ Spring Founding Industry Partners Program. The initiative is designed to advance the role of blockchain in data sharing.

This is a huge nod towards real-world adoption of blockchain technology.

Very excited to officially unveil our partnership with @gmfinancial, one of the largest global providers of auto financing with operations in North America, South America, and Asia. https://t.co/DQ3HPpslXf

— Spring Labs (@SpringLabsMain) February 11, 2019

Speaking to Forbes, GM Financial Chief Strategy Officer Mike Kanarios said he believes blockchain technology will deliver a “better, faster, and cheaper system” to identify fraud.

Solving a Million Dollar Problem

GM Financial is fighting a huge problem: synthetic identity fraud. It’s the fastest-growing form of identity theft in the US. Synthetic identity fraud is a process where someone blends various parts of people’s stolen data to create a new identity.

It’s effective and incredibly difficult to trace. By using synthetic identity fraud, an individual can take out multiple credit cards or a loan on a car.

“As the captive finance arm for General Motors and one of the world’s largest auto finance providers, we are continually innovating and evolving our fraud prevention and detection capabilities to better serve and protect our customers and dealers.” GM Financial Chief Strategy Officer Mike Kanarios.

GM Financial is responsible for issuing loans, finance, and leasing options. It has a presence in North America, South America, and Asia. The company is a huge target for fraudsters and it reportedly loses millions of dollars per year fighting identity theft.

General Motors isn’t just selling small-ticket items. If a fraudster buys a car, it can be almost impossible to track them down to reclaim the money. Blockchain technology could help identify and verify individuals before they are approved for a car loan.

Blockchain technology could save General Motors millions in money lost to fraud.

Spring Labs: Raised $15 million to Kickstart Blockchain Adoption

Spring Labs is a blockchain startup that has already raised $15 million in seed money. It is developing the Spring Protocol, a blockchain-based network which allows companies to share data and information privately. The protocol ensures the underlying source of data is never revealed.

To spur growth, Spring Labs launched the Spring Founding Industry Partners Program. It has so far invited a handful of FinTech startups to work together on research and development of its technology.

“We are excited to partner with GM Financial to create solutions on our developing network to address vexing economic problems such as identity fraud.” Adam Jiwan, CEO of Spring Labs.

The ultimate goal is to get companies to share information via the Spring Protocol. By doing so, they can spot and stamp out cases of identity fraud.

General Motors Leading the Charge in Blockchain

General Motors is one of the few Fortune 500 companies taking meaningful steps in blockchain adoption. GM Financial is also a member of the Hyperledger project, an initiative designed to drive real-world blockchain solutions.

62% of auto execs agree that blockchain will shake up the industry within three years, but it might be here sooner than they think.

Source: https://www.ccn.com/mass-adoption-is-coming-the-biggest-us-automaker-turns-to-blockchain-to-help-save-millions-in-identity-theft

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Monarch Gold $MQR.ca resumes drilling on Croinor Gold property $GDX.ca $ECR.ca $MZZ.ca $QMX.ca $IMG.ca $IAG $MUX

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:22 AM on Friday, February 15th, 2019
  • Announced the resumption of diamond drilling at its wholly owned Croinor Gold property, 50 kilometres east of Val-d’Or
  • 1,750-metre program aimed at drilling high potential targets
  • Recently returning numerous intersections with high grade gold values over good widths, such as 18.40 g/t Au over 1.6 metres,  8.24 g/t Au over 9.0 metres, 43.25 g/t Au over 2.1 metres, 74.23 g/t Au over 2.0 metres and 17.26 g/t Au over 1.95 metres

MONTREAL, Feb. 15, 2019 – MONARCH GOLD CORPORATION (“Monarch” or the “Corporation”) (TSX: MQR) (OTCMKTS: MRQRF) (FRANKFURT: MR7) is pleased to announce the resumption of diamond drilling at its wholly owned Croinor Gold property, 50 kilometres east of Val-d’Or, Québec. Before being suspended due to the winter freeze, the 2018 diamond drill program enabled Monarch to extend the limits of the deposit, returning numerous intersections with high grade gold values over good widths, such as 18.40 g/t Au over 1.6 metres,  8.24 g/t Au over 9.0 metres, 43.25 g/t Au over 2.1 metres, 74.23 g/t Au over 2.0 metres and 17.26 g/t Au over 1.95 metres (see press releases dated July 10, 2018, September 5, 2018, October 4, 2018, January 15, 2019 and February 4, 2019 for a compilation of the 2018 drill results). The deposit remains open along strike and at depth.

The purpose of the 1,750-metre drilling program that will start in February 2019 is:

  • To finish the 2018 drilling program.
  • To drill high potential targets on the Croinor Gold property.

“Exploration to date on Croinor Gold has demonstrated the strong potential for increasing the size of the Croinor Gold deposit and finding new zones on the property,” said Jean-Marc Lacoste, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monarch. “This greenfield drilling program on high potential targets is further proof of Monarch Gold’s confidence in finding more gold on its 151 km2 property.”

The technical and scientific content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Ronald G. Leber, P.Geo., the Corporation’s qualified person under National Instrument 43-101.

ABOUT MONARCH GOLD CORPORATION

Monarch Gold Corporation (TSX: MQR) is an emerging gold mining company focused on pursuing growth through its large portfolio of high-quality projects in the Abitibi mining camp in Quebec, Canada. The Corporation currently owns close to 300 km² of gold properties (see map), including the Wasamac deposit (measured and indicated resource of 2.6 million ounces of gold), the Beaufor Mine, the Croinor Gold (see video), McKenzie Break and Swanson advanced projects and the Camflo and Beacon mills, as well as other promising exploration projects. It also offers custom milling services out of its 1,600 tonne-per-day Camflo mill.

Forward-Looking Statements
The forward-looking statements in this press release involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Monarch’s actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied therein. Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.)

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/monarch-gold-resumes-drilling-on-croinor-gold-property-300796392.html

SOURCE Monarch Gold Corporation

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2019/15/c0795.html

Jean-Marc Lacoste, 1-888-994-4465, President and Chief Executive Officer, [email protected]; Mathieu Séguin, 1-888-994-4465, Vice President, Corporate Development, [email protected]; Elisabeth Tremblay, 1-888-994-4465, Senior Geologist – Communications Specialist, [email protected], www.monarquesgold.comCopyright CNW Group 2019

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CLIENT FEATURE: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – The heartbeat of Cardiovascular Medicine and Telemedicine

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:02 PM on Thursday, February 14th, 2019

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

CardioComm Solutions’ HeartCheck(TM) Device Enters Final FDA Review Phase Read More

  • Completed a request for additional information from the US Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for the Company’s premarket notification 510(k), Class II medical device clearance application for the HeartCheck™ CardiBeat and GEMS™ Mobile Application.
  • Company had submitted a letter of revocation of their supplementary information submission on December 26, 2018 in compliance with the FDA’s directive

CardioComm Solutions’ HeartCheck(TM) CardiBeat and Smart Phone App Enter Final Stage of FDA 510(k) Review Read More

  • Market Release of HeartCheck(TM) CardiBeat and GEMS(TM) Mobile Application Set For Early 2019
  • Completed its response to the USA Food and Drug Administration for additional information following the Company’s filing of its premarket notification 510(k)
    • Class II medical device clearance application for the HeartCheck™ CardiBeat and GEMS™ Mobile Application
  • HeartCheck™ CardiBeat is the second of several planned Bluetooth-enabled ECG recording devices to be marketed by the Company

Launched 12-Lead ECG Smart Wearable Garment Monitoring Solution Read More

  • Announced joint partnership sales plans for the commercial launch of its newest software release designed to support an innovative and easy to use wireless, 12 lead ECG, vital signs, arrhythmia and ischemia monitoring wearable smart garment manufactured by Israel-based HealthWatch Technologies Ltd.

Products

The Project: Arrhythmia Screening and Medical Adherence

An Innovator in the Mobile ECG Industry

Company Accolades

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

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