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BREAKING: Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX to Acquire “The Sims Resource”, the World’s Largest Female Video Gaming Website $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:07 PM on Monday, January 7th, 2019

Transformative acquisition to add approximately 35% to Enthusiast’s rapidly growing revenue base

  • Company to acquire 100% of the assets of The Sims Resource from Generatorhallen AB and IBIBI HB on an arm’s length basis for US$18 million in cash and US$2 million in stock for an aggregate purchase price of US$20 million
  • TSR generated C$7 million in revenue and C$5.25 million in Adjusted EBITDA2  and approximately C$4.5 million in net income
  • world’s largest female video gaming content and community destination online.
  • Sims™ franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide and is widely considered one of the best-selling video games series of all time.

TORONTO, Jan. 07, 2019 — Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (“Enthusiast” or the “Company”) (TSXV: EGLX), is pleased to announce that it has, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, signed a definitive agreement on January 3, 2019 (the “Agreement“) for the Company to acquire 100% of the assets of The Sims Resource (“TSR”) from Generatorhallen AB and IBIBI HB (the “Vendors”) on an arm’s length basis for US$18 million in cash and US$2 million in stock for an aggregate purchase price of US$20 million (the “Purchase Price“).  Thirty percent (30%) of the Purchase Price is payable on closing and the balance payable by the first anniversary date of closing, subject to certain customary adjustments (the “Transaction“). Completion of the Transaction is subject to satisfaction of a number of customary conditions, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and is expected to close prior to February 15, 2019.

THE SIMS RESOURCE

Established in 1999, TSR (www.thesimsresource.com) has grown to become the world’s largest female video gaming content and community destination online.1 The website offers custom content built around the popular Sims™ video game franchise, which can be downloaded by users to alter and/or expand gameplay. Published by Electronic Arts, The Sims™ franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide and is widely considered one of the best-selling video games series of all time.

“The Sims Resource is one of the largest video game communities, ranking in the top 5 independent sites in total views in the US, Canada and the UK.  It currently generates more than 10% of the total views of Twitch.com, the largest video game website, which was acquired by Amazon in 2014 for approximately US$1 billion,” said Menashe Kestenbaum, CEO of Enthusiast Gaming (Source: Comscore Media Metrix Multi-Platform/®, Games – Gaming Information, Total Views, November 2018, U.S., Canada, U.K.). “Further, with the rapidly growing female video game segment, TSR provides us with immediate reach into this valuable audience.”

  • TSR is the largest female video gaming content site in the world generating in excess of 2.5 billion page views per year (Google Analytics);
  • Comscore’s Gaming Information category currently ranks TSR in the top 5 independent video game websites;
  • The site ranks #7 on Quantcast’s Top 25 websites with the highest concentration of female audience in the United States, closely behind Oprah.com and Bravotv.com (Quantcast, Top 25 websites with the most female audience, 2017);
  • In 2018 TSR generated C$7 million in revenue and C$5.25 million in Adjusted EBITDA2  and approximately C$4.5 million in net income (CohnReznick LLP unaudited “Quality of Earnings” report prepared for Enthusiast); and
  • Approximately 60% of revenue is derived from advertising with 40% received from monthly recurring subscribers.

“We see three key growth opportunities associated with this acquisition,” Kestenbaum continued. “Initially we intend to drive significant organic growth in advertising revenue via direct sales, an area of strategic importance to Enthusiast in recent months. Further, we now have an opportunity to monetize with advertisers seeking a large female video game audience. Finally, TSR’s subscription model has the potential to add considerable revenue across our entire portfolio.”

TRANSACTION TERMS

  • As consideration for the acquired assets, Enthusiast will pay, at closing, an initial amount of US$4 million in cash and US$2 million in common shares in the capital of the Company valued at C$1.00 per share;
  • The Company will pay a deferred payment (the “Deferred Payment”) of US$14 million on or before the first anniversary of closing;
  • Enthusiast will enter into a transition services agreement, pursuant to which the Vendors will manage, operate and administer the acquired assets and in particular the relationships with the TSR community for a period of up to one year;
  • Until the Deferred Payment is made, the Company has agreed on a profit-sharing split of 70% in favour of the Vendors, which decreases proportionally if the Company elects to prepay a portion of the Deferred Payment; and
  • Pursuant to the Transaction, the Company will acquire all of the assets related to TSR, including, but not limited to, customer and supplier lists, trade names, business goodwill, intellectual property, software, the domain name, website content, social media accounts and the Company will not assume any liabilities or obligations of the Vendors outside of those normally assumed in relation to employment and certain other contractual obligations.       

The acquisition of TSR is the largest acquisition to date for Enthusiast and follows the successful completion of seven strategic acquisitions in 2018. The Company anticipates that it will need to secure financing in order to meet the Deferred Payment. The Company expects to continue to grow through a combination of organic growth and acquisition utilizing its balance sheet as well as being opportunistic with respect to additional equity and/or debt financing to execute on its defined growth strategy.

About Enthusiast

Founded in 2014, Enthusiast is the fastest-growing online community of video gamers. Through the Company’s unique acquisition strategy, it has a platform of over 80 owned and affiliated websites and currently reaches over 75 million monthly visitors with its unique and curated content. Enthusiast also owns and operates Canada’s largest gaming expo, Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo, EGLX, (www.eglx.ca). Over 30,000 people attended EGLX in October 2018. For more information on the Company, visit www.enthusiastgaming.com.

CONTACT:

Julia Becker
Head, Investor Relations & Marketing
(604) 785-0850
[email protected] 

Eric Bernofsky
COO, SVP Finance
(416) 623-9360
[email protected] 

This news release contains certain statements that may constitute forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. All statements, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results, developments, performance or achievements that Enthusiast anticipates or expects may or will occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking information. Such information may involve, but is not limited to, comments with respect to strategies, expectations, planned operations and future actions of the Company. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” (or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or come to pass. Forward-looking information is based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans, strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Enthusiast to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors may be based on information currently available to Enthusiast, including information obtained from third-party industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs regarding future growth, results of operations, future capital (including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof) and expenditures. Any and all forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative.

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

The securities of the Corporation have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

____________________
1 See Comscore Media Metrix Multi-Platform and Quantcast report referenced below.

2 Adjusted EBITDA as used by the Company means earnings before interest and financing costs (net of interest income), income taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, restructuring and other non-recurring costs, and non-controlling interests. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure. Enthusiast believes this non-IFRS financial measure provides useful information to both management and investors in measuring financial performance, the ability to fund future working capital needs, to service outstanding debt, and to fund future capital expenditures. This measure does not have a standard meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similarly titled measurers presented by other publicly traded companies and should not be construed as an alternative to other financial measures determined in accordance with IFRS.

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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – Twitch Sees Significant Growth From In Real Life Streaming in 2018 $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:41 AM on Monday, January 7th, 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 an additional 42 Esports teams, bringing total to 176 Esports teams. Click here for more information
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Twitch Sees Significant Growth From In Real Life Streaming in 2018

By The Numbers

  • Total Hours Watched in 2018: 540M (IRL and Just Chatting).
  • Total Hours Watched in 2017: 207.96.
  • Most-Watched Day: June 3 with 2.43M hours watched.
  • Peak CCV: 159.69K on May 29 when Bethesda released a Fallout teaser on its official channel.
  • Most-Watched IRL Channel: Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris with 49.85M hours watched.
  • Most-Watched Just Chatting Channel: Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris with 8.26M hours watched.

Max Miceli

Twitch’s  “In Real Life” or “IRL” category experienced a huge re-work in the fall of 2018 as the platform realized that more streamers were not only using it, but using for a plethora of different reasons.

At the end of September, the category was divided into several new categories including “Just Chatting,” “Sports and Fitness,” “Special Events,” “Food & Drink,” and “Talk Shows & Podcasts.” Before that point, IRL content on Twitch consistently drew some of the strongest viewership week-to-week in 2018 and regularly competed with some of the most-watched games on the platform.

Despite the division of one of Twitch’s most-watched categories, the momentum of IRL wasn’t stalled. If anything it served as a catalyst for its growth. As soon as IRL was divided, “Just Chatting” emerged as one of the most popular forms of content. Streamers regularly began streams by “Just Chatting” with their viewers before they started to get into whatever game they were playing.

Some streamers like Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris even began to expand the scope of what the category could be, and despite just three months of existence, the Just Chatting category on Twitch managed to sneak into rankings as one of the top 10 most-watched types of content for all of 2018. When combined with the success of IRL prior to it’s extinction, the two personality-driven forms of content made up 540M hours watched on Twitch, enough to be the third most-watched category on the platform.  

It wasn’t solely Just Chatting that saw use on the platform either. While Just Chatting was by far the most used subcategory, the other 12 categories that were born from IRL elicited airtime from streamers.

Year-Over-Year

Even though IRL was removed from Twitch on Sept. 26, its 388M hours watched was enough to deliver a massive year-over-year net positive for the category. Without even existing the last three months of the year, IRL had around 180M more hours watched in 2018 than it did in 2017 (207.96M). In just three months, the Just Chatting category alone drew 151.17M hours watched.

The exponential growth of IRL justified its division into sub-categories, but even after the split, Just Chatting averaged more hours watched per month than IRL. As more streamers look to grow their viewership by maintaining interactive communities, the necessity to “just chat” with subscribers and fans has become increasingly important.

Unlike many forms of entertainment, Twitch is most known for its game-driven content and its interactive interfaces. The maturation of Just Chatting and IRL is the most tangible sign of Twitch’s continued growth. Despite its short life, viewership for Just Chatting notably increased in 2018. That was paired with a significant increase in total airtime as well—a sign that influencers are aware of the trend.

Influencer Impact 

IRL is all about the influencer; there isn’t much in the way of esports that comes with “real life” content unless its a Twitch personality giving their thoughts about a recent gaming tournament. Morris seems to have mastered the art of interacting with his viewers in a unique and personal way that keeps them coming back. Not only was he the most-watched IRL streamer, but he led the Just Chatting category once it came into existence. In fact, his channel accounts for eight of the top ten IRL or Just Chatting sessions in 2018.  

As more streamers continue to use Just Chatting—as well as Twitch’s other non-game specific channels—as a way to interact with their chatroom and grow a sense of community among viewers, the opportunity for personal growth and increased sponsorships will proliferate throughout the platform.

While the battle royale craze and Fortnite  have dominated Twitch in 2018, the life of any specific game as a form of personality streaming content is historically limited. As Twitch evolves, the personalities that thrive are the ones that are able to adapt and maintain viewership with their personality—not just their skill at a specific game. This new category’s success and rapid growth are an indication that streamers are becoming privy to the opportunities that are associated with…well…just chatting.

Source: https://esportsobserver.com/twitch-irl-2018/

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

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:01 AM on Monday, January 7th, 2019

The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine

  • Specializing in the software engineering of computer based electrocardiogram (heart monitoring) management and reporting software
  • Software permits physician interpretations of ECGs and supports private and public payer fee-for-service billings
  • ECGs are electrical recordings of the heart and performing an ECG is one of the most common diagnostic tests performed
  • Successfully launched technologies that enable the use of new medical devices and communication portals utilizing internet and cellular based technologies for the recording, transmission and viewing of ECGs

Recent Highlights

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.

Company to Receive Royalty Payments from Biotricity Read More

  • Confirmed progress on a royalty licencing agreement with Biotricty Inc.
  • Royalty payment phase became active following confirmation that all necessary clearance and software development pre-conditions have been achieved
  • Royalty fees are due from the use of the ECG software Cardiocomm developed, or any derivative products, on a per patient monitored basis

First Company to Receive Approval for ECG Product Sales Direct to Consumers Read More

  • CardioComm was the first company to be approved to sell an ECG product directly to consumers in North America as evidenced by OTC Class II medical device clearances by both the United States Food and Drug Adminstration and Health Canada in 2012
  • HeartCheck ECG PEN is currently available for OTC sales on the shelves of Canadian pharmacy chain Shoppers Drug Mart.

Completed HeartCheck(TM) Clinical Validation for Long-Term, Self-Managed, Remote Monitoring of Atrial Fibrillation Patients Post-Ablation Read More

  • Moved into routine clinical use following completion of a long-term, remote arrhythmia monitoring pilot in high risk patients.
  • PACE cardiologists have been prescribing use of the HeartCheck™ ECG PEN and ECG Handheld Monitor to their patients to provide up to one year of enhanced remote patient monitoring for arrhythmias in addition to use of conventional but term-limited Holter and event monitoring.

Products

HeartCheck™ Pen

The HeartCheck™ PEN handheld ECG device is the only device of its kind cleared by the FDA for consumer use.


✓ Monitor For Arrhythmias Anywhere
✓ Web Access to a Qualified Physician
✓ No Prescription Required

 
The pocket-sized PEN allows you to take heart readings from anywhere, the moment symptoms appear.

The HeartCheck™ ECG Device

The FDA-cleared HeartCheck™ ECG device is portable, easy to use and can store up to 200 thirty second ECG readings.

Whether at home, the gym or at the office, the HeartCheck™ ECG Device with SMART Monitoring can help detect and monitor arrhythmias from wherever you are.  

  Features & Benefits
✓ SMART Monitoring ECG Interpretations
✓ Cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
✓ Easy to use
✓ Accurate heart readings in only 30 seconds
✓ Store up to 200 ECGs

Company Accolades

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Betteru Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – Indian e-learning startup Byju’s eyes US deals after raising $540m

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:52 AM on Monday, January 7th, 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.
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Indian e-learning startup Byju’s eyes US deals after raising $540m

  • Indian online tutorial startup Byju’s, which recently received $540 million in investment from South African fund Naspers and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, has begun talks with four or five U.S. peers toward an acquisition to speed its global expansion.

World’s most valuable education tech unicorn has global expansion plans, CEO says ROSEMARY MARANDI, Nikkei staff writer January 04, 2019 14:22 JST

MUMBAI — Indian online tutorial startup Byju’s, which recently received $540 million in investment from South African fund Naspers and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, has begun talks with four or five U.S. peers toward an acquisition to speed its global expansion.

The world’s top education technology unicorn, valued at $3.8 billion, seeks to finalize a deal within six months, using part of the money from its recent fundraising round, founder and CEO Byju Raveendran told the Nikkei Asian Review in an interview.

Byju’s wants to make an acquisition “that will eventually help us launch in a new market,” Raveendran said. “We are also looking for products that will have a global offering because we don’t know today which country we want to launch in.”

The company also is considering tie-ups with, as well as acquisitions of, content distribution companies for its platform.

“If both can come together, nothing like it, but there are not many options where you get a good product offering and a significant amount of reach,” the CEO said.

Byju’s, formally known as Think & Learn, has seen rapid growth in India, where it has reached 2 million paid subscribers and over 30 million general users.

The company, which began as a provider of preparation for competitive exams such as the GMAT and GRE, also enjoys backing from investors such as Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s multibillion-dollar philanthropy venture and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corp. Together, they have invested around $800 million in several rounds of funding.

Byju’s doubled its revenue over the past three years and expects to triple the amount to 15 billion rupees ($209 million) during the fiscal year that ends in March.

  Byju’s founder and CEO Byju Raveendran is eager for a U.S. deal that would mark the startup’s fourth acquisiton since it began in 2015. (Photo by Rosemary Marandi)

By the July-September quarter, Byju’s will make its app available in the U.S. and some Commonwealth countries such as the U.K., Australia and New Zealand to test its traction in these markets.

The startup will introduce its signature high-production-value videos and content — which simplify subjects such as math and science for Indian students as young as kindergarten age — for 5- to 8-year-olds in these countries.

Byju’s has brought in teachers from across English-speaking countries to record videos in its studios in Bangalore. These teachers are chosen from popular educators on YouTube, and Byju’s is hoping their fans will follow them to its learning app.

Byju’s “has aggressive plans for international market expansion and will make bold investments in technology that will help to further personalize learning for students,” according to the company.

A U.S. deal would mark Byju’s fourth acquisition since its launch in 2015. In July, the unicorn acquired Bangalore-based education startup Math Adventures for an undisclosed amount. The team of Math Adventures now forms a part of Byju’s content and research and development team.

In 2017, it acquired two companies, TutorVista and Edurite, from London-based education group Pearson, the former owner of the Financial Times. It also bought student assessment platform Vidyartha that year.

Other Indian e-learning startups are moving beyond the country’s borders to boost their revenue.

Education technology startup Mindler, for instance, is already present in five countries, including Russia and Singapore. Fellow startup Aspiring Minds has entered countries such as China and the U.S., while Xseed Education is present in the Philippines, Singapore and the Middle East.

These startups believe in the fitness of their products to attract markets abroad.

According to a study by Google and accounting group KPMG, India’s online education industry is expected to grow eightfold to $1.96 billion by 2021, with the number of paid users rising sixfold to 9.6 million from 1.6 million now.

Source: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Startups/Indian-e-learning-startup-Byju-s-eyes-US-deals-after-raising-540m

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PyroGenesis $PYR.ca Announces Winning Tender (>CAD $1MM) for 900 kW Plasma Torch System Sale

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:40 AM on Monday, January 7th, 2019
  • Announced today that it has been awarded a contract for a 900 kW plasma torch system for more than CAD $1MM.
  • This contract was won in a competitive bid put out by RISE Energy Technology Center AB of Sweden

MONTREAL, Jan. 07, 2019 — PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (http://pyrogenesis.com) (TSX-V: PYR) (OTCQB: PYRNF), a TSX Venture 50® high-tech company, (the “Company”, the “Corporation” or “PyroGenesis”) a Company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma atomized metal powder, plasma waste-to-energy systems and plasma torch products, is pleased to announce today that it has been awarded a contract for a 900 kW plasma torch system for more than CAD $1MM. This contract was won in a competitive bid put out by RISE Energy Technology Center AB of Sweden (the “Client” or “RISE”).

The invitation to participate was announced on November 11th, 2018 and the deadline for submitting applications was December 12th, 2018. Technical and commercial discussions took place in Sweden December 18-21st, 2018. The competition was narrowed down to two other companies besides PyroGenesis. The 10-day standstill period, in which participants could contest the decision based on procedure, expired January 2nd, 2019, and as such the contract was awarded to PyroGenesis. The Client and PyroGenesis are now in the process of finalizing contract terms. The torch is scheduled to be delivered by Q3 2019.

Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis, provides further information in the following Q&A format:

Q. You announced today a 900KW torch system sale. What does this mean for the Company exactly?

A. This is a giant step forward for PyroGenesis and its torch sale strategy, for three reasons.

First, we won this contract against stiff competition. One was a European powerhouse, and the other was a local company. Being the only non-European competitor did not help either. We were determined to win this contract, and not sacrifice our margins, and we did.

Second, as you know, we are plasma torch experts, and have sold plasma torches in the past. Our main lines of business typically use torches between 10-550 kW so that is what we typically sell as well. However, there is a significant market for high powered plasma torches ( ~ 1 MW range), and one we have targeted for some time now. Notwithstanding the fact that our businesses do not use 1 MW torches, we developed this capability in-house, with support from the Canadian National Research Council, with our eyes set on addressing this market. This announcement today is the first step in that direction.

Third, we announced on October 26, 2017 that we were granted two US patents, one of which was a torch patent targeting this exact application.

Q. And what application is that?

A. Iron ore pelletization.

It is a process in which fossil fuel burners are typically used in abundance. Fossil fuel burners are naturally bad for the environment in that they generate greenhouse gases. Amongst its many advantages, PyroGenesis’ Plasma torches do not.

We are extremely happy to be working with RISE on this project as we share many of their views and values. Sweden is committed to becoming a zero-carbon dioxide emission society and, as such, is developing fossil free technologies across all sectors. This contract is aimed at developing fossil-free energy-mining-iron-steel value chains and thereby provide a basis for governance and industrial strategies for transformative change across all of Sweden.

We are proud to be part of this initiative by providing our patented torch technology (US patent #9,752,206 entitled Plasma heated furnace for iron ore pellet induration) as a basis for this change.

Q. When do you think you will conclude the contract?

A. Within the next six weeks.

Q. Any risk it won’t be signed?

A. There are always risks, but we are highly confident it will be signed. Maybe even sooner than what we expect.

Q. Last but not least, what is your goal for this market?

A. We have one of the largest concentrations of plasma expertise under one roof. We make some of the most unique plasma torches in the world. We run torches on air, oxygen, argon, helium, and even water which is quite uncommon. Our torches are compact, lightweight, easy to operate, fully-automated, with high levels of safety, and impressive reliability. PyroGenesis torches can operate for extremely long periods without maintenance, and they can easily restart without manual intervention.

Winning this public tender not only speaks to our capability of meeting existing needs, but also to our ability to develop new plasma torches for unique and demanding situations.

We have effectively expanded our plasma torch offerings to now include high powered plasma torches and, as such, we expect to very quickly become a significant player in this market segment.

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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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – Five predictions for the #esports industry in 2019 $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:46 PM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment $GMBL 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

Mobile esports on the rise

  • These days, you can pick up your mobile phone and play against other people in real time – all you need is a decent internet connection.
  • This is a major part of why mobile esports is on the rise and why many predict it will take off in a huge way in the not-so-distant future.

Five predictions for the esports industry in 2019

By Adam Fitch -January 4, 2019

2018 is over, and nobody will deny that it was a ridiculous year for the esports industry. Celebrity investors, new competitions, almost-unbelievable organisation valuations, and a plethora of incredible game play have all made it a year to remember, but what’s to be expected in 2019?

Here at Esports Insider we cover the business side of esports so, naturally, our predictions will be based on such. Of course, we’d love to speculate on how Astralis will fare in CS:GO in the new year and whether the FGC will ever stop squabbling or not, but business is what we live and breathe.

Let’s get into our five predictions for the esports industry in 2019!

Overwatch League troubles?

Activision Blizzard has brought in eight new investors to own expansion teams in the Overwatch League at $30-60 million a piece, but things aren’t perfect. A vocal portion of esports fans think the game is too hectic to follow (which could well make the game less accessible to new viewers), average viewership – excluding China and potential bots – declined steadily over the course of the inaugural season, and the developer is fully in control of everything that happens in the competition which is a scary prospect.

Overwatch League

A slew of inappropriate behaviour and, subsequently, suspensions were present in the first season of the premier Overwatch competition, which isn’t attractive to sponsors. The OWL has acquired a roster of prominent sponsors and secured a ludicrous amount of money at the same time – but what happens if they decide to drop out? How easy will it be to acquire new sponsors if everything isn’t as great as it’s being portrayed?

The second season of the Overwatch League kicks off on February 14th, and we feel as if it’ll be pivotal. If the aforementioned problems are addressed as much as possible and faith in the game is restored in those who have become disillusioned in it, then things could be OK for the foreseeable future. If not, then franchise owners could well start to feel a little iffy about the future of their trusty investments.

Battle Royale remains relevant

2018 was undoubtedly the year of the Battle Royale genre. With PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite both having their fair share of the limelight in terms of player base and viewing figures, the genre was truly put on the map in a casual basis; it’s had a harder time from a competitive viewpoint, however. From H1Z1 Pro League coming and going, PUBG’s dwindling popularity, and Epic Games’ questionable esports efforts, there’s plenty of room for the genre to grow when competition is involved.

We predict that Battle Royale titles will continue to thrive in 2019 – with games similar to Call of Duty’s Blackout being released and making a wave in the market, albeit briefly – but people will still argue over the genre’s status as a legitimate competitive format. PUBG Corp. is launching six Pro Leagues with three additional pro circuits and Epic Games still has millions of dollars to give out over the course of the year, so it’s an interesting time for the industry.

Traditional sports clubs continue to invest

Over the last couple of years there have been a number of trends in the esports industry, many of which aren’t as significant as traditional sports clubs and their involvements in video games. Whether it’s straight-up acquiring majority shares in organisations (such as OpTic Gaming and compLexity Gaming), investing and partnering with local companies (Pittsburgh Knights and the Pittsburgh Steelers, most recently), or entering the scene through a safe route (football teams expanding into FIFA, for example), there’s been an abundance of instances in recent times.

Pittsburgh Knights joins forces with Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s hard to imagine this will slow down. With that being said, if a bunch of clubs that have already invested decide to back out of esports now as is hasn’t been immediately fruitful monetarily, then it may heed a warning for those looking for a quick cash-grab. This isn’t a bad thing for the esports industry at all, though. In 2019, we expect to see more and more crossover between traditional sports and esports when it comes to ownership of organisations and teams.

Mobile esports on the rise

These days, you can pick up your mobile phone and play against other people in real time – all you need is a decent internet connection. This is a major part of why mobile esports is on the rise and why many predict it will take off in a huge way in the not-so-distant future.

When we attended the Clash Royale League World Finals in Tokyo, Japan, we saw a potential glimpse into the future. Not too different from esports as we currently know it, the arena was filled with impassioned fans that were happy to pay to see the best players in the world compete.

Accessibility is a huge factor in the attractiveness of mobile esports, but titles such as Clash Royale have proven that mobile games don’t need to merely be a portable version of PC titles. MOBAs such as Dota 2 and League of Legends are undeniably popular and so it’s understandable that mobile versions of the genre are flooding the scene, but originality may well trump all. We truly think we’ll find out more in regards to this theory in 2019.

Course corrections

Even as valuations for organisations and companies continue to rise, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing in 2018. Echo Fox announced that it would undergo an organisational restructure in October to better position itself for profitable and sustainability in the future – releasing its Call of Duty and Gears of War rosters, as well as fighting game competitors and other select players.

On a bigger scale, Infinite Esports and Entertainment – the parent company of OpTic Gaming, Obey Alliance, the now-defunct Allegiance and a host of supporting companies – released a whole host of staff members around the same time as Echo Fox. Growing too fast was where blame was placed, following a rapid expansion and a suite of acquisitions following the majority share sale of OpTic Gaming in November 2017.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see this happen at other prominent companies and organisations in the upcoming year, too. Spend is ridiculously high when you occupy spots in League of Legends and the Overwatch League, player demands are ever-growing, and contract buyouts are nearing unfathomable heights. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to move forward in a stronger state, and it should be expected as the industry edges towards a potential bubble.

Source: https://esportsinsider.com/2019/01/5-predictions-esports-2019/

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Betteru Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – 3 Reasons Why #India Will Be A Leader in the #EdTech Industry in the 21st Century $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:04 PM on Friday, January 4th, 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.
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3 Reasons Why India Will Be A Leader in the EdTech Industry in the 21st Century

  • According to a joint report by KPMG and Google, the online education industry is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 8 times to become a $1.96B industry by 2021
  • Five categories of education in India have been cited as the ones with great potential for considerable online adoption

By Matthew Lynch

According to a joint report by KPMG and Google, the online education industry is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 8 times to become a $1.96B industry by 2021. Five categories of education in India have been cited as the ones with great potential for considerable online adoption. These include primary and secondary supplemental education, test preparation, reskilling and online certification, higher education, and language and casual learning.

The important question here is – what’s driving the considerable growth of education technology in India? Well, the following are the 3 key reasons why India will be a leader in EdTech in the 21st century:

  1. E-learning Boost via the Digital India Initiative

With an aim to transform the country into a digitally empowered society, the Indian government launched The Digital India Initiative. This was a huge move that had a substantial impact on the country’s technology industry, bringing a wave of revolution in every aspect. The education sector is one of the sectors that are benefiting from this initiative.

To boost e-education, all schools and universities are set to be connected with broadband and free Wi-Fi.  Also to be put in place is a Digital Literacy Program, as well as the development of pilot Massive Online Open Courses. Once the goals of the Digital India Initiative are realized, India will certainly be ahead in the EdTech game.

  1. Vast User Base of Mobile Device Use

There are more than 850 million mobile phone subscribers in India. According to a report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), mobile internet is largely used by youngsters. With an increase rate of over 10M users a month, there’s no doubt that mobile devices are the classrooms of tomorrow. Current user base for e-learning predominantly consists of school students and working professionals.

Not only are Indians realizing the potential for mobile learning, but major technology and publishing companies are also increasingly becoming aware of the potential of the education services delivered through mobile services. So, it’s only a matter of time and there will be a gold rush into the Indian mobile education market that will put the country at the top as far as EdTech is concerned.

  1. Low Cost Alternative to Offline Learning

Even though the average tuition for online courses varies from one program to another, it’s clear like night and day that online courses are much cheaper compared to the ones offered in classroom settings. Online skill enhancement courses are estimated to be about 53% cheaper compared to offline alternatives. Larger student base and lower infrastructure cost help leverage on the economies of scale, thus the reduced costs via the online channel.

It’s apparent that the EdTech industry in India is one of the blooming sectors with a lot to offer to stakeholders. There’s no doubt that edtech will undergo an evolution and set the stage for the momentous growth that will be witnessed in the forthcoming years not just in India, but all around the world.

Source: https://www.thetechedvocate.org/3-reasons-why-india-will-be-a-leader-of-the-edtech-industry-in-the-21st-century/

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CLIENT FEATURE: Peeks Social $PEEK.ca Live Streaming With $2.1M In Quarterly Revenue / 6.5M User Sessions

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:54 PM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
PEEK: TSX-V

WHAT IS PEEKS?

Peeks is a live streaming platform where people can interact and transact in real time by sending cash tips as appreciation for content and or selling goods and services to their live viewers.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Platform generated gross revenue of $2.1 million during Q2 2019, up from $1.3 million during Q2 2018;
  • User sessions were 6.50 million for the three months ended August 31, 2018, as compared to 4.63 million for the three months ended August 31, 2017 (and as compared to 6.20 million for the three months ended May 31, 2018).

The Shifting landscape

  • Digital marketing spend is projected to grow from $57.3B USD in 2014 to $103.4B USD in 2019
  • Viewers spend 8x longer with live video than on demand:  42.8 min vs. 5.1 min       
  • Live video is outpacing growth of other types of online video with 113% increase in add growth yearly   
  • 100,000,000 internet users watch online video everyday
  • By 2019 online video will be responsible for 80% of global internet traffic.
  • In the U.S. online video will be responsible for 85% of domestic US traffic

Hub On AGORACOM

FULL DISCLOSURE: Peeks Social is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Appoints Alan Alden, General Secretary of Malta Remote Gaming Council, To Board of Directors

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:09 AM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
  • Announced the appointment of Alan Alden to the Board of Directors
  • Mr. Alden has been a specialist in advising remote gaming companies located in Malta since 2000, when he advised the first remote gaming companies as the Senior Manager of Enterprise Risk Services at Deloitte & Touche (Malta)

BIRKIRKARA, Malta, Jan. 04, 2019 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (GMBL:OTCQB) (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 Alan Alden to the Board of Directors.

Mr. Alden has been a specialist in advising remote gaming companies located in Malta since 2000, when he advised the first remote gaming companies as the Senior Manager of Enterprise Risk Services at Deloitte & Touche (Malta).  In 2006 Alan set up Kyte Consultants Ltd, a company that specialised in the remote gaming and payment card sectors, to assist companies located in Malta. In 2009, Alan became a founding director in Contact Advisory Services Ltd, a licensed Company Service Provider (CSP) that offers a complete service to its customers, from company incorporation, to licensing for gaming and financial institutions.

Since 2010, Alan has served as the General Secretary of the Malta Remote Gaming Council. Alan is a certified CISSP and CISA. Alan was also the founding President of the ISACA Malta Chapter between 2005 -2008. In 2015, Alan became a Part Time Lecturer on IT Auditing at the University of Malta. 

Mr. Alden stated, “I am very pleased to have been offered this opportunity by Esports Entertainment Group, as they are an ambitious company with vision, a solid strategy and an exciting and unique product offering. I look forward to working with the team and hope I am able to assist them in achieving their objectives.”

Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group stated, “Alan’s experience in finance, Gambling and regulatory matters make him uniquely qualified as a board member for our company. We are excited to have him join our Board, as he will be a major asset in our future plans.”

ABOUT VIE.GG

vie.gg offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secured platform to the global esports audience, excluding jurisdictions that prohibit online gambling. vie.gg features wagering on the following esports games:

  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)
  • League of Legends
  • Dota 2
  • Call of Duty
  • Overwatch
  • PUBG
  • Hearthstone
  • StarCraft II 

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 and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada. The Company maintains offices in Antigua, 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
1-268-562-9111
[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] 

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CLIENT FEATURE: Star Navigation $SNA.ca Real-Time Flight Tracking and Monitoring Technology

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:01 AM on Friday, January 4th, 2019

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

COMPLETED SALE OF FIVE STAR-A.D.S SYSTEMS TO ALMASRIA UNIVERSAL AIRLINES

  • Announced that AlMasria Universal Airlines of Egypt has decided to proceed with the installation and activation of the STAR-A.D.S.® System across all five (5) of its current aircraft fleet, which includes A-320, A-321, A330 and B737 aircraft.

BOMBARDER JOINT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

  • Joint research and development program with Bombardier and other industrials and universities of Canada is progressing very positively.
  • The STAR-A.D.S. ® system which is at the heart of the program, after having been validated and extensively used by the aircraft manufacturer, has now been transferred to another flight test vehicle to complete the flight testing and the data collection.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES APPLICATIONS

  • Star’s Land System Aided Medical Monitoring system for ground ambulance applications has undergone a series of demonstrations by a care organization in North America.
  • Its airborne parent system, the In-Flight System Aided Medical Monitoring system (STAR-ISAMM™â€), has now been demonstrated to several stakeholders of the commercial and civil air ambulance market.

CHECK OUT OUR RECENT INTERVIEW

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