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BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – #Edtech Startups: A Highway Towards Rich Quality #Education For #India $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:19 AM on Wednesday, July 24th, 2019
SPONSOR:  Betteru Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

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Ed-tech Startups: A Highway Towards Rich Quality Education For India

  • As per the reports released by Google and KPMG in 2017, the online education market in India currently stands at USD 247 million and is estimated to rise to $1.96 billion by 2021
  • At present, there are about 1.57 million users of online education. This user base is said to increase to 9.5 million by 2021.

By Aakanksha Ahire

Since ages, the Indian education system has been following rigid methods of educating the students. Right from the tender age of 5, children are made to fall into the vicious cycle of sitting for classes in school, surviving through the long hours at tuition classes, filling out hundreds of pages as homework, rote learning from textbooks, vomiting it out on the answer sheets during examinations and then anxiously waiting for the results, only to repeat the same cycle but at a higher level.

Its way past high time we change the ways we acquire education and make it more student-friendly to foster effective learning. This seems possible only if the education system holds the hands of technology and decides to move forward. The development of technology is boosting by leaps and bounds. In such a scenario, the education sector must make the most of it.  

Education Technology startups, more commonly called as ed-tech startups are a pragmatic solution to better the education system of India. Edtech startups is a platform that combines education and innovative technology and provides to students effective learning methods and solutions which are very different from the education imparted at the brick and mortar schools.

Image Credits: Inside Higher Ed

As per the reports released by Google and KPMG in 2017, the online education market in India currently stands at USD 247 million and is estimated to rise to $1.96 billion by 2021. At present, there are about 1.57 million users of online education. This user base is said to increase to 9.5 million by 2021.

These figures clearly indicate that the students have started demanding for quality options in the field of education. They have started looking out for gaining a deep understanding of the concept at lower costs. To cater to this demand for education by the students, the ed-tech startups have dived into the education sector.

The ed-tech startups are undoubtedly going to be a harbinger of change in the education system of our nation. They have already brought in AR(Augmented Reality), VR(Virtual Reality), MR(Mixed Reality) in order to present effective education solutions. These provide students with practical and experiential learning through AR and fosters interactions via VR. Some of the best examples of edtech startups which are into AR and VR would be NewGenApps, Smartivity, and Veative. These startups are not just providing top class and effective educational experience but are also cost-efficient since the hardware and software used in making these technologies available too are cheaper.

With the advent of ed-tech startups:

  • Websites and apps are being developed by the ed tech startups that provide on-the-go study material and content which makes it easily accessible on laptops and mobile phones. The app and website are also updated from time to time with new concepts and topics.
  • Since every student signs up individually, the website has each student’s individual profile which enables the website to track the student’s progress, analyse the weakness and accordingly provide study material and tests for further improvement.
  • Schools too have welcomed the efforts made by the edtech startups by developing STEM and Innovation labs to teach subjects like Mathematics, Science, Technology, and Engineering, etc. in a practical way.
  • Further, the use of AI (Artificial Technology) has enabled the tracking of a student’s progress and helps in customising the learning approach based on the performance. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions fail to realise that every student learns at his/her own pace. By providing personalised education, edtech startups like Byju and Vedantu who are equipped with customised learning algorithm help each student to grasp subjects at his/her own pace. 
  • Edtech startups bridge the knowledge gap that exists between the urban and rural education by providing the same education to all which doesn’t happen in traditional education as the skills and knowledge of teachers teaching in urban India and rural India differ vastly. 
  • Moreover, in a highly competitive world where a zillion of careers has been created, an intense need is felt, for education that trains the pupils for such careers. Ed tech startups like upGrad are the perfect platforms that provide innumerable courses which range from Blogging to Data Science and Blockchain.
  • As edtech startups are the birth children of technology and are accessible on digital mediums, the content put up is highly visually appealing, even the most complicated concepts are made easy to understand for the students thus strengthening the students’ knowledge.  

In India, there are many small as well as big edtech startups that performing greatly in the market. Some of the small edtech startups include Open Door, ClassPlus, NeoStencil, etc. Big startups that have risen to massive success over the past few years include Byju, the largest funded edtech startup in the country founded by Byju Raveendran, upGrad, a higher education platform co-founded by Ronnie Screvala, Embibe, the largest Artificial Intelligence platform for education in India, and Unacademy, which provides around 50,000 courses.

At present, India is home to over 3,500 ed-tech startups. The loopholes present in the Indian education system is such that they cannot be filled overnight. If we all join hands and together and shift our likes from the traditional methods of schooling to online education, and for a change instead of participating in the mad race of scoring more marks, focus on deeply understand concepts, the country will blossom producing not just highly qualified individuals but also intellectual and experienced professionals. 

Source: https://youthincmag.com/ed-tech-startups-a-highway-towards-rich-quality-education-for-india

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Tartisan #Nickel $TN.ca – Can #Metals Supply Keep Up With Electric Vehicle #EV Demand? $ROX.ca $FF.ca $EDG.ca $AGL.ca $ANZ.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:54 AM on Wednesday, July 24th, 2019

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

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Fact Sheet
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Can Metals Supply Keep Up With Electric Vehicle Demand?

Wood Mackenzie

EVs and the energy transition

Battery raw materials could face a supply crunch by the mid-2020s. In every electric vehicle (EV) battery, there’s a complex chemistry of metals – cobalt, lithium, nickel and more. The electrification of transport is transforming the demand and supply of those battery raw materials. In fact, we expect to see double-digit growth for battery raw materials over the next decade. And our latest research suggests they could face a supply crunch by the mid-2020s, increasing the pressure on the raw material supply chain.

What does the long-term outlook for battery raw materials mean for electric vehicle penetration, the metals supply chain and those who invest in it?

What’s driving demand?

Retreat in lithium prices underway

Spot prices for lithium carbonate have fallen by just under US$7,000/t since June 2018.

We are seeing the same weakness in the realised prices of the majors and their expectations for H1 2019. And this is in an environment where the major brine producers in South America have failed to ramp up capacity. Clearly, the first responders to the lithium boom – Australian hard rock mines – have the capability to quickly deliver the required tonnages. Meanwhile, the bottleneck in Chinese conversion capacity that was supporting prices is giving way as China emerges as a net exporter of lithium chemicals to the region.

It has only taken a few years for the battery sector to become the largest demand driver for lithium. Lithium’s use in every lithium-ion battery type means it will have double-digit annual growth, making up over 80% of total lithium demand by 2030.

Cobalt prices have plummeted this year

Like lithium, cobalt prices have softened over H1 2019. The low prices may defer some mine projects and are likely to see reduced artisanal output from the DRC. However, the industry must still contend with an oversupply of intermediates until 2024. And the existence of swing supply in China is likely to keep a lid on any major price upside. Although cobalt looks challenging in the long-term, the adoption of high-nickel batteries in EVs means the emerging deficits look more achievable than previously expected.

Indonesia key for nickel

Although the battery sector share of nickel demand is much smaller than other metals, getting the quantity of nickel that EVs will need by the mid-2020s will be a challenge. A low nickel price has hindered any project development and with lead times often up to 10 years, investment needs to happen now.

While high-nickel ternary batteries will mean higher corresponding demand for nickel, like cobalt, our long-term deficits are becoming more feasible. Much of this is due to growing capacity in Indonesia, to serve both the stainless steel sector and emerging battery demand.

Business as usual for graphite

For graphite, there is little change in fundamentals. While the scale of demand is huge, we don’t expect any supply-side challenges in terms of natural graphite flake due to the growing supply out of East Africa. Synthetic graphite presents more of a challenge, given potential disruption to needle coke feedstock as a result of the new IMO 2020 regulations and growth in China’s steel sector.

Manganese central to NMC batteries

The manganese industry is overwhelmingly driven by the steel sector, something unlikely to change no matter how many EVs are on the road. While a steady supply of manganese sulphate will be crucial for NMC battery producers, we do not foresee any supply-side issues in this space.

What does this mean for investors in battery raw materials?

Despite strong growth in demand on the horizon, there’s not yet much for investors to get excited about. Meeting demand is not a challenge for key metals at present. In many cases supply is chasing demand. Increase electric vehicle penetration to 10% and above, and it is a different matter altogether. Are the current falling prices and weak sentiment setting the world up for a crunch down the road?

Unless battery technology can be developed, tested, commercialised, manufactured and integrated into EVs and their supply chains faster than ever before, it will be impossible for many EV targets and ICE (internal combustion engine) bans to be achieved – posing issues for current EV adoption rate projections.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/woodmackenzie/2019/07/24/can-metals-supply-keep-up-with-electric-vehicle-demand/#39f095e56c9b

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GGX Gold Update on Gold Drop Drilling $GGX.ca $XIM.ca $K.ca $GOM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 9:33 AM on Wednesday, July 24th, 2019
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  • Drilling at the C.O.D. North vein – 421m has been drilled in 7 holes
  • 1,965m drilled in 32 holes on the main COD vein – Assays Due
  • Drill testing “Anomaly” at depths between 500 and 800 metres
  • The anomaly is interpreted as a pipe-like structure measuring 1834 by 1377m

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 24, 2019 / GGX Gold Corp. (TSX-v: GGX), (OTCQB: GGXXF), (FRA: 3SR2) (the “Company” or “GGX”) provides the following update on its exploration activities at its Gold Drop property in the Greenwood Mining Camp.

Drilling resumed as of July 16 at the C.O.D. North vein. As of July 22, a total of 421 metres has been drilled in 7 holes on the COD North, in addition to the total of 1,965 metres drilled in 32 holes on the main COD vein. An initial batch of samples was submitted for analyses in late June, but assays have not yet been received.

Preparations are also underway to drill a relatively deep hole on a geophysical anomaly (refer to news release dated July 4). Drill rods and bits have been purchased and a night shift drill crew has been arranged. The drill site has been selected and verified by a representative for Earth Science Services Corporation of Oshawa, Ontario (ESSCO). The initial hole is planned to be drilled to test the target zone at depths between 500 and 800 metres. The anomaly is interpreted as a pipe-like structure that measures 1834 by 1377 metres.

The Company also announces that it has repriced the flow through portion of its private placement originally announced on June 18, 2019. The non brokered private placement will now be an offering of up to 4,000,000 flow through units at a price of Cdn$0.25 per unit for gross proceeds of $1,000,000. Each flow-through unit will comprise one common share (which is a flow-through share for Canadian income tax purposes) and one-half share purchase warrant. Each whole flow-through warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share which is not a flow-through share at the price of $0.35 for 18 months after closing. The term of the warrants may be accelerated in the event that the issuer’s shares trade at or above a price of $0.40 cents per share for a period of 10 consecutive days. In such case of accelerated warrants, the issuer may give notice, in writing or by way of news release, to the subscribers that the warrants will expire 20 days from the date of providing such notice. The proceeds of the private placement will be used for continued exploration work including diamond drilling and trenching at the Company’s Gold Drop property near Greenwood in Southern British Columbia.

The terms of the non-flow through placement remain as announced on June 18, 2019.

A finder’s fee may be paid to eligible finders in accordance to the TSX-V policies. All securities issued pursuant to the offering will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of closing. The offerings and payment of finders’ fees are both subject to approval by the TSX-V.

David Martin, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and consultant to the Company, approved the technical information in this release.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
George Sookochoff, President,
604-488-3900
[email protected]

Investor Relations:
Mr. Jack Singh,
604-488-3900,
[email protected]

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Applied BioSciences $APPB Announces Two Consecutive Quarters Posting Record Revenues for FY Ended March 2019 $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX $PFE $ACG.ca $ACB.ca $WEED.ca $HIP.ca $WMD.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 8:24 AM on Wednesday, July 24th, 2019
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  • FY 2019 revenue of $707,062; a 258% increase from the previous fiscal year with Q4 revenue for the Company of $234,553, representing a 1202% increase from Q4 FY 2018;
  • Launched multiple new products and expanded into the Beverage and Health / Wellness category with Remedi Spa and Remedi Beverage and Shot
  • Appointed Raymond W. Urbanski MD, PhD as Director and CEO;
    Added 3 PhDs and 5 scientists to its operational team;
    Launched the first Organic Human Quality Pet Treats under the HerbalPet bran

Los Angeles, California–(Newsfile Corp. – July 24, 2019) – Applied BioSciences Corp. (OTCQB: APPB), a vertically integrated company focused on the development of science-driven cannabinoid biopharmaceuticals and the production of high-quality CBD products, as well as testing and analytics, and pet health industries, today announced that it has achieved a record revenue quarter with multiple milestones for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. The Company has continued to make strategic investments in select brands and companies believed to be innovators in the consumer space. The investment remains on the balance sheet under “Equity Investments,” however the Company has begun a strategic review of options for the remaining equity stake.

Q4 FY 2019 Financial and Operational Highlights

  • FY 2019 revenue of $707,062; a 258% increase from the previous fiscal year with Q4 revenue for the Company of $234,553, representing a 1202% increase from Q4 FY 2018;
  • Launched multiple new products and expanded into the Beverage and Health / Wellness category with Remedi Spa and Remedi Beverage and Shot;
  • Started initial pharmacokinetic safety study with a leading firm in the veterinary space;
  • Commenced discussions regarding proposed scientific trials with two leading Universities specializing in Veterinary Medicine; and
  • Announced the acquisition of Trace Analytics with over 65 years of combined experience in the global testing market for Cannabis and Hemp.

“Applied BioSciences’ results in the fourth quarter mark another record revenue quarter and solid revenue acceleration in our core products businesses. This has led to a historic year in a dynamic and rapidly evolving and growing space. We look forward to providing a corporate update and 2019 business outlook to the investor community on our strategy, milestones and continued progress in the near term,” stated Dr. Raymond W. Urbanski, CEO of Applied BioSciences.

Subsequent to Q4 2019

  • Appointed Raymond W. Urbanski MD, PhD as Director and CEO;
  • Added 3 PhDs and 5 scientists to its operational team;
  • Launched the first Organic Human Quality Pet Treats under the HerbalPet brand; and
  • Appointed Martin Schroeder to the Scientific Advisory Board and as President of Applied BioPharma. Mr. Schroeder has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries and has helped many biotech and pharmaceutical companies conduct search and evaluation of compounds and molecules.

“Applied BioSciences continues to be at the forefront of the evolving consumer and testing market, using organically grown plants, without pesticides or herbicides as our main ingredient. As the Company, continues to expand our product lines it is important to know that our products have been thoroughly tested by trusted labs in the industry for chemicals, pesticides and any harmful materials. All our products are tested to ensure high-caliber and quality as well as overall safety. We will now be able to test our products in an expedited fashion as well as from third-party labs and continue to provide the highest standard of testing results and safety protocols on all our products,” commented JJ Southard, Vice President of Applied BioSciences Corp.

About Applied BioSciences Corp.

Applied BioSciences Corp. (www.appliedbiocorp.com), is a diversified company focused on multiple areas of the medical, bioceutical and pet health industry. As a leading company in the CBD and Pet health space, the company is currently shipping to the majority of US states as well as to 5 International countries. The company is focused on select investment, consumer brands, and partnership opportunities in the medical, health and wellness, nutraceutical, and media industries.

About Trace Analytics Inc.

Trace Analytics Inc. is a leading cannabis and hemp science and technology company with significant footprints in lab testing, research and development and licensing. Trace Analytics was started by a group of scientists who specialized in analytical chemistry, genetics and molecular biology. The focus of the team is to ensure compliance with public safety standards and end user safety. Trace Analytics is in the process of expanding throughout the United States, and globally. With the goal of helping the rest of the world adopt “best practices” in cannabis and hemp testing, the company also provides expert consulting services to legislators and regulators in many countries, states and municipalities around the world. For more information, please visit: http://traceanalytics.com

Contact
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

To be added to the Applied BioSciences email distribution list, please email [email protected] with APPB in the subject line.

Official Website: www.appliedbiocorp.com / www.traceanalytics.com

Brands:
www.remedishop.com
www.herbalpet.com
www.canagel.com

Follow us:
Facebook @remedicbd & @HerbalPetMeds
Instagram @remedishop & @herbal_pet
Twitter @remedishop & @herbal_pet

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Spyder Cannabis $SPDR.ca – 5 Essential #Cannabis Trends You Can’t Afford to Miss – #CBD will take center stage $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:49 PM on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019

SPONSOR: Spyder Cannabis Inc. (TSX-V: SPDR) An established chain of high-end vape stores in Ontario, Canada. The company has an aggressive expansion plan already in place that will focus on Canadian retail and US Hemp-Derived kiosks in high traffic areas. Click here for more info.

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5 Essential Cannabis Trends You Can’t Afford to Miss

New research indicates these events will drive the global cannabis market.
  • Until recently, the cannabis market was dominated by THC products, but now CBD is on everyone’s lips. What happened? In 2018, two regulatory events changed the direction and growth trajectory for the cannabis market. Troy Dayton and Roy Bingham

Figuring out where the cannabis industry is heading next is no easy task. The industry is filled with a seemingly daily deluge of noise and breaking news. But there are a handful of trends and events you should keep an eye on. Arcview Market Research in partnership with BDS Analytics has discovered key data points that reveal some of the big industry levers shaping things to come.

1. CBD will take center stage.

Until recently, the cannabis market was dominated by THC products, but now CBD is on everyone’s lips. What happened? In 2018, two regulatory events changed the direction and growth trajectory for the cannabis market.

First, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) approved GW Pharmaceutical’s seizure medication, Epidiolex, the first CBD pharmaceutical-grade drug. 

Second, hemp (the cannabis plant high in CBD and low in THC) was legalized for commercial production across the U.S. 

Pharmaceutical companies have since unleashed numerous studies and clinical trials — racing to isolate treatments for a diversity of diseases – from cancer to sleep disorders. And, due to less government restrictions placed on CBD, cannabis dispensaries no longer hold domain over the sale of cannabis products. 

Over time, fortune 500 companies will stampede into the CBD market. In many U.S. markets, general retail stores are now free to stock hemp-based products. And as creams, craft beer, and other CBD infused products make their way onto grocery store shelves in growing numbers, licensed dispensaries will be pushed to stay competitive. 

Just how big is the U.S. CBD market expected to get? 

Our research shows that CBD spending will grow from $1.9 billion in 2018 to a forecast of $20.1 billion by 2024. Include THC sales in the number, and the total U.S. cannabinoid market will soar from $10.5 in 2018 to $44.8 billion as we turn the calendar to 2024. 

This is a 49 percent compound annual growth rate forecast for cannabis and hemp-derived CBD products.

2. Eased regulations will be a catalyst for the cannabis market.

Fear of federal prosecution, the inability to easily use every-day banking services (including depositing money), and little clarity around CBD as a food additive, has been deadweights for the U.S cannabis industry. However, two ground-breaking pieces of legislation are working their way through the legislative labyrinth that should remedy these problems.

First is an amendment to the STATES Act that will exempt the state’s legal activities from the Controlled Substances Act (which classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 substance). The STATES Act would effectively ease federal cannabis prohibition by ceding the regulation of cannabis to the state level. Secondly, the SAFE Banking Act — which would allow federally chartered banks the ability to accept money from state-legal cannabis businesses.

On the CBD front, the FDA is under pressure to regulate and confirm the rules of the game. Once these guidelines are announced, they are likely to be the trigger for mass adoption of CBD.

3. Canada is still a significant player, but there are clouds on the horizon.

Canada’s historic legalization of adult-use cannabis last year quickly spawned the world’s largest cannabis companies. Our research indicates that by 2024, the Canadian adult-use market will expand to almost $4.8 billion from $113.5 million (in the partial year of 2018).

In the short term, limitations on distribution and the marketing of edibles and concentrates are likely to hamper growth. However, regulations are expected to ease in October. But it will take suppliers several months, maybe even years, to catch up with the product selection and branding strategies, which are the chief drivers of U.S. market growth.

The success of the continued retail roll-out and the federal election in October could potentially dampen the Canadian growth story. Should the liberals be ousted at the polling booths, a change in government policy may curtail the growth trajectory.

4. Other countries will get in the game. 

The global expansion of medical cannabis is attracting investor attention. Our research shows that the international markets’ contribution to global legal sales will rise from 4.7 percent to 13.2 percent between 2018 and 2024. That’s a not inconsequential 33 percent compound annual growth rate through the period.

Internationally, Germany leads the pack, making Europe the leading region. But Uruguay’s pioneering legal adult-use, Luxembourg, Mexico, and New Zealand could also have adult-use sales by 2024.

Reforms in Asia and Africa are also afoot. Patients in South Korea and Thailand will gain access to medical cannabis treatments — albeit highly restricted. And Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are all in various stages of program development.

But, as a consequence of the opening up of these markets, there may be a shift in the migration of production to regions like Africa and Latin America. Canadian LPs could be left with stranded assets

5. Money will flow to M&As, as companies specialize and rationalize operations.

In two short years, an industry starved for funding is now seeing billion-dollar deals. But the availability of money is becoming less significant. Now it’s about how it will be spent.

Vertically integrated companies are buying out other operations for scale, and the start of a trend towards diversification and specialization is underway.

Over the medium term, a second wave of M&A to ‘rationalize assets’ (i.e. match a firm’s investment in various types of assets to its projected requirements, for achieving optimum ROI) may follow. Companies in maturing industries usually work out what they are best at and divest operations to those better suited to operate these.

Once federal prohibition ends, it’s also no stretch to imagine the mainstream industry giants stepping in and buying out cannabis companies. Courageous entrepreneurs will be richly rewarded for having built attractive take-out targets.

Source: https://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/5-Essential-Cannabis-Trends-You-Can-t-Afford-to-14113323.php

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ZEN Graphene Solutions: EV Sales in Europe Exploding $ZEN.ca $LLG.ca $FMS.ca $NGC.ca $CVE.ca $DNI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019

SPONSOR: ZEN Graphene Solutions: An emerging advanced materials and graphene development company with a focus on new solutions using pure graphene and other two-dimensional materials. Our competitive advantage relies on the unique qualities of our multi-decade supply of precursor materials in the Albany Graphite Deposit. Independent labs in Japan, UK, Israel, USA and Canada confirm this. Click here for more information

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ZEN – TSX:V
  • The number of electric car models on the European market is set to more than triple in the next three years
  • European Union will jump from around 60 models available at end-2018 to a total of 214 battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and fuel cell (FCEV) models in 2021
  • Production of EVs in Europe is set to surge six-fold between 2019 and 2025, reaching more than 4 million cars and vans

The next two years are likely to be the tipping point for electric vehicles (EVs) going mainstream in Europe, as the number of electric car models on the European market is set to more than triple in the next three years, Transport & Environment (T&E), Europe’s leading clean transport campaign group, says in a new analysis. 

According to T&E, which analyzed the upcoming offerings using data from authoritative industry source IHS Markit, the number of EV models made across the European Union (EU) will jump from around 60 models available at end-2018 to a total of 214 battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and fuel cell (FCEV) models in 2021, and further up to 333 models in 2025.

“Until recently, the EV market was limited to a niche of early adopters but tomorrow’s landscape will be very different as EVs enter a new phase and near the mass market,” the report from T&E says.

Based on IHS Markit’s light vehicle production forecast data and in-house T&E analysis, the production of EVs in Europe is set to surge six-fold between 2019 and 2025, reaching more than 4 million cars and vans. This production volume would account more than a fifth of the EU car production volumes.

EV manufacturing will be replacing diesel-fueled car making across Europe, with the largest production sites in western Europe—Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, T&E’s analysis shows. In central and eastern Europe, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary are also expected to be significant EV production centers.

EV production volumes forecasts for the UK are currently highly uncertain because electric car manufacturing growth could easily be reversed in a no-deal Brexit scenario, according to the analysis.  

All major European carmakers, including Germany’s Volkswagen, BMW, and Daimler, France’s PSA, and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance are expected to roll out a number of EVs in Europe. Fiat Chrysler, Ford, and Tesla will also offer new models in Europe by 2025, the report showed. Related: Gloomy Investor Sentiment Darkens Outlook For Oil & Gas

“Thanks to the EU car CO2 standards, Europe is about to see a wave of new, longer range, and more affordable electric cars hit the market. That is good news but the job is not yet done. We need governments to help roll out EV charging at home and at work, and we need changes to car taxation to make electric cars even more attractive than polluting diesels, petrols or poor plug-in hybrid vehicles,” Lucien Mathieu, transport and e-mobility analyst at T&E, said.

“This is a pivotal moment for Europe’s automotive industry,” Mathieu added, noting that carmakers are investing a combined US$163 billion (145 billion euro) in electrification, and “battery making is finally coming to Europe.”

“We need to send a clear signal to industry that there is no way back, and agree a phase-out of petrol and diesel car sales in cities, at national and EU level. The age of the combustion engine is coming to an end,” Mathieu concluded.  

Sales of EVs in Europe are growing, and the undisputed leader in terms of market penetration is Norway, which is not a member of the EU.

For the first time ever, EV sales in Norway in March outstripped sales of gasoline and diesel cars combined, confirming the Nordic country’s undisputed global leadership in EV market share. The nearly 60-percent record EV market share in March was driven by two key factors—Norway’s consistent government policies in incentivizing purchases of zero-emission cars and a record number of Tesla Model 3 deliveries in March.

Norway may have a population of just 5.3 million people, but it is an important market for all EV makers, especially for Tesla. This importance is also recognized by Elon Musk who retweeted with heart emoticons Norway’s sales numbers for March.  

In the United States, the absolute number of EV sales is still tiny compared to the overall market. Yet new registrations of fully EVs in the United States hit a record 208,000 cars in 2018, more than double the new registrations in 2017, IHS Markit said in an analysis earlier this year.

The EV market will grow in the United States and in the world, the analysis says, but adds that one thing is clear: “the internal combustion engine is not going away any time soon, with IHS Markit forecasters anticipating them to continue to dominate the global market until past 2030.”  

SOURCE: By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Electric-Vehicle-Sales-Are-Exploding-In-Europe.html

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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – Las Vegas #Esports arena evolving with latest gaming trends $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019

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

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EGLX: TSX-V
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Las Vegas Esports arena evolving with latest gaming trends

  • “It’s almost like an actual sports stadium feel,” General Manager Nico DeGeorge said. “We want people to have that awe-inspiring moment like when they go to Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park.”

By Lukas Eggen Las Vegas Review-Journal

Prior to the opening of the Triple Crown Royale at the HyperX Esports Arena at Luxor, employees were buzzing about a new opening hype video.

The video showcased not only the arena’s production capabilities but was a step toward proving this isn’t your ordinary video game gathering spot.

“It’s almost like an actual sports stadium feel,” General Manager Nico DeGeorge said. “We want people to have that awe-inspiring moment like when they go to Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park.”

When the HyperX Esports Arena hosted the Triple Crown Royale, it featured three of the most popular battle royale games, Fortnite, Apex Legends and PUBG.

Several professional gamers took part in the event, as well as local players and gamers from across the country.

“We wanted to make it open to the fans,” NewEgg’s Vice President of Marketing, Mitesh Patel said. “Yet, we also wanted to leverage our relationship with so-called influencers and give people the opportunity to play with and compete against these professionals. The arena allows us to give gamers a chance to play with professionals on the same type of equipment that the professionals play with.”

The tournament featured two groups of players that competed in each game.

Organizers pulled out all the stops, including commentators, multiple cameras and giveaways.

“Right now, we see esports on more of a local, community level,” DeGeorge said. “Now, the broad focus is broadcast in general, being more content driven.”

Since its opening, the arena has held several events.

“We’re putting more effort into the content space and it’s also helping make people more aware of esports,” DeGeorge said. “We have people walk in here every day and try and figure out what’s going on. Events like this can be something fun and informative as well.”

Source: https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/las-vegas-esports-arena-evolving-with-latest-gaming-trends-1808750/

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Great Atlantic Resources $GR.ca – Gold Heats Up And Silver Joins The Race $OM.ca $GGX.ca $GWM.ca $CNX.ca $SIC.ca $MOZ.ca $AGB.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 11:06 AM on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019

SPONSOR: Great Atlantic Resources. A Canadian exploration company focused on the discovery and development of mineral assets in the resource-rich and sovereign risk-free realm of Atlantic Canada, one of the number one mining regions of the world. Great Atlantic is currently surging forward building the company utilizing a Project Generation model, with a special focus on the most critical elements on the planet that are prominent in Atlantic Canada, Antimony, Tungsten and Gold. Click Here for More Info

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GR: TSX-V
  • Next level for gold is $1500
  • Ray Dalio, Billionaire hedge fund manager pro gold
  • Potential interest rate cuts gold positive

Now that gold has broken through the $1,450 an ounce level, a six-high year high, the next big test is $1,500. And as I’ve said before, it can do this in the blink of an eye under the right conditions.

We may end up seeing those conditions emerge sooner rather than later.

Last Thursday, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams seemed to indicate that a rate cut could be expected later this month, saying that central bankers need to “act quickly” as economic growth cools. Although he later clarified his comment, claiming he was simply citing research and not forecasting central bank action, the price of gold jumped as much as 2 percent on the news before closing above $1,440 for the first time since May 2013.

Investors took some profits last Friday, knocking the price down around 1 percent after gold started to look overbought a day earlier. The metal was up two standard deviations over the past 60 trading days, its highest level since April 2016. I would consider each pullback such as this a buying opportunity, though, because I believe the best is yet to come for the metal.

Gold Price Up Two Standard Deviations

Gold Price Up Two Standard Deviations U.S. Global Investors

Ray Dalio seems to agree. In a lengthy post on LinkedIn—Dalio’s favorite platform for getting the word out—the billionaire hedge fund manager writes that he thinks we’re on the verge of a new economic paradigm shift and that central banks’ accommodative policies, from low rates to quantitative easing (QE), are unsustainable. To hedge against this, Dalio says, “I believe that it would be both risk-reducing and return-enhancing to consider adding gold to one’s portfolio.” Most investors are underweighted in gold, “meaning that if they just wanted to have a better balanced portfolio to reduce risk, they would have more of this sort of asset,” he writes.

A Monster Rally for Juniors

Select junior and micro-cap gold and precious metal miners also posted very strong growth over the past week, mostly on positive drilling results. In a press release dated July 15, Brixton Metals announced encouraging results at its wholly owned Thorn Gold-Copper-Silver Project in British Columbia. Gary Thompson, chairman and CEO of the Vancouver-based explorer and developer, said that Brixton “continues to unlock a mountain of value” at the property, which exhibits even greater mineralization than was previously thought.

Junior Miners Had a Strong Week

Junior Miners Had a Strong Week U.S. Global Investors

As for silver, I’m pleased to see that it’s finally playing “catch up” to gold, its price having hit a 52-week high after an incredible six straight days of gains.

Silver Is Trying to Narrow Its Gap With Gold

Silver Is Trying to Narrow Its Gap With Gold U.S. Global Investors

The Bullish Calls on Gold Continue

With gold having already broken out of its five-year trading range, is the best still yet to come?

I believe it is. And I’m not alone. Read what some analysts and strategists have to say:

Alpine Macro

“The Fed is getting ready to cut interest rates, which should set in motion a multi-year bear market in the dollar,” write analysts at Alpine Macro in a research note dated June 28. A weaker U.S. dollar is one of three “key ingredients” for a bull market, according to Alpine Macro, the other two being a more accommodative Fed and rising geopolitical risks.

“The technical break above $1,400 an ounce is a positive sign,” the firm adds. “New all-time highs for gold should be seen in the coming years.”

World Gold Council (WGC)

“The prospect of lower interest rates should support gold investment demand,” the World Gold Council (WGC) says in its mid-year outlook. “Our research indicates that the gold price was higher in the 12 months following the end of a tightening cycle. Moreover, historical gold returns are more than twice their long-term average during periods of negative real rates—like the one we are likely to see later this year.”

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)

“We continue to see no signs of rate hikes on the horizon over the next several years, and historically have seen gold continue on an upward trajectory beyond the last rate cut,” writes CIBC in a note dated July 14.

The bank points out that in two previous gold bull market cycles—in the 1970s and 2000s—negative real rates were the main contributing factor.

“During the last two major periods when real rates stayed below the 2 percent level and actually ticked into negative territory, the gold price moved over 320 percent in the 1970s… and approximately 400 percent from 2004 to peak in 2011.”

For full disclosures pertaining to this post click here.

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BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – Six Quick Things You Should Know About the #Edtech Marketplace $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:09 AM on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019
SPONSOR:  Betteru Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

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Six Quick Things You Should Know About the Edtech Marketplace

Students gather around a table during a plumbing class at an IACM Smart Learn Ltd. learning center in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg By: Derek Newton

  • Investors continue to be enticed by education technology companies and products.
  • So much so that edtech investment isn’t a fringe pastime anymore, it’s grown into a robust, big market that, according to education research firm HolonIQ, will surpass $7.5 billion this year.
  • They say some 400 deals have moved more than $3.5 billion already this year with a whopping 90 deals north of $5 million in funding.

While the movement of capital to and among edtech projects is substantive, investors still make some mind-numbing mistakes such as depending on technologies that aren’t practical, sales cycles that can’t exist or, even more common, market forces that don’t apply to education.

Nonetheless, whether you’re an investor or an observer, here are a few things you may want to know about the edtech marketplace.

The US is Flat

The U.S. edtech market is remarkably stable in terms of spending and enrollment demand. There are a few demographic crests and troughs expected over the next ten to fifteen years but nothing outside 5% in either direction. And for the past five years, edtech investment in American markets has been stable too – never more than $1.6 billion, not less than $1.0 billion.

The Demand is Global

It’s not just that the American market is tepid, the growth is elsewhere.

According to HolonIQ, 70% of the global investment in education technology took place in just two markets – India and China. Four of the five largest investment deals in edtech so far this year have been logged in China. Their report says matter-of-factly, “The US and Europe will steadily lose ground to China and India” over the next 20 years.

Pivot to Workforce

More and more companies that launched as education reformers intent on creating market change by design, technology or pedagogy are shifting to workforce training instead, banking on demand for lifetime learning, a constant need to retrain or refresh workers on technology skills. In many cases, the long sales cycles and lack of demand have stalled the early projections.

Outside the Classroom

Most of the successful technology innovations in education will be outside the classroom. According to a 2016 report by McKinsey, “Educational Services” was the least vulnerable sector to technology disruption and automation. “The importance of human interaction is evident in two sectors that, so far, have a relatively low technical potential for automation: healthcare and education,” it read.

That doesn’t mean the door is closed. It’s somewhat open outside the classroom. “27 percent of the activities in education—primarily those that happen outside the classroom or on the sidelines—have the potential to be automated with demonstrated technologies,” McKinsey said.

Online Higher Ed is Splitting

While enrollment in online higher ed classes continues to increase, the pool of students is bifurcating. Competition for enrollment online is increasingly being narrowed to two concerns – global brands that can compete anywhere and hyper-local ones.

According to the 2019 Online College Students Report by Learning House, a Wiley brand, more and more students who study online are doing it closer and closer to home. “When this study was first conducted in 2012, 44% of online college students chose a school within 50 miles of their residence. However, in 2019, 67% of online college students are enrolling at schools within 50 miles of their residence, and 44% of those students live within 25 miles of their school,” the report said.

Coding and STEM Skills Merging

Discrete, tech-heavy skills such as coding are increasingly being rolled into existing education offerings by established education providers. Mergers, take-overs or expanded offerings by community colleges and even four-year schools will expand and stand-alone, bootcamp-style models will struggle due to increased competition, lack of scale, non-competitive branding and lack of access to federal student funding support.

This convergence is taking place against the backdrop of a repeated employer surveys showing that so-called soft skills such as writing, teamwork and flexibility are as important as the hard skills of coding, for example.

Unfortunately, these quick points don’t easily melt into a neat package of what’s happening in edtech. Nonetheless, a few themes emerge. For example, investors who don’t think and look globally may be missing the biggest growth opportunities. Another is that, in the U.S. at least, innovations designed to work outside the classroom and/or support career training may be better bets than those intended to change teaching or compete with or disrupt established education norms.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2019/07/22/six-quick-notes-on-the-edtech-marketplace/#1fb1dcdd4505

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Applied Biosciences – $APPB CBD Consumer Companies Seeing High Interest, But M&A Future Clouded In Smoke $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX $PFE $ACG.ca $ACB.ca $WEED.ca $HIP.ca $WMD.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 9:07 AM on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019

SPONSOR: Applied Biosciences Corp. is a vertically integrated company focused on the development of science-driven cannabinoid therapeutics and biopharmaceuticals, as well as state-of-the-art testing and analytics. As a leading company in the CBD, Pet and Health and Wellness space, the company is currently shipping to the majority of US states as well as to 5 International countries. Click Here for More Info

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APPB : OTC
  • CBD-derived beauty, personal care and pet brands, among others, have made their way into national retail chains like Walgreens, Sephora and American Eagle Outfitters.
  • Industry experts say regulatory uncertainty and the young age of the category could result in more minority investments than buyouts in the near term.

With fewer restrictions than ever, buyers are increasingly curious about the smoking hot CBD-infused consumer products space, but industry experts say remaining regulatory uncertainty and the young age of the category could result in more minority investments than buyouts in the near term.

The inflection point for bringing CBD, or the non-psychoactive part of the cannabis plant, into the mainstream was the passage of the 2018 US Farm Bill last December, which lifted restrictions on selling hemp-derived products across state lines. Since then, CBD-derived beauty, personal care and pet brands, among others, have made their way into national retail chains like Walgreens, Sephora and American Eagle Outfitters.

CBD oil hemp products, Medicinal cannabis with extract oil in a bottle on a wooden table. Medical cannabis concept

CBD oil hemp products, Medicinal cannabis with extract oil in a bottle on a wooden table. Medical cannabis concept Getty

Michael Lux, a Denver-based Partner at accounting firm Crowe, said he expects strategic minority investments to make up the bulk of CBD’s activity over the next 6-12 months. Although many of the industry’s players are “growing like weeds,” he explained that most are younger than five years old and not ready to explore full exits.

Despite the category’s youth, Lux said interest from consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies has been “very high,” and noted that many of his firm’s CBD-based consumer clients have been approached for strategic investments, as well as research and retail partnerships.

However, one industry banker cautioned that “it will be a bit off” before the market can expect to see acquisitions from traditional CPG groups, particularly for ingestible products like beverages and edibles, since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still working to create a regulatory framework for CBD.

Earlier this week, the FDA announced that it is expediting its effort to create clearer guidelines for CBD, which is believed to have healing property for a range of conditions, including inflammation and anxiety. The department plans to publish a report on its progress by early fall.

In the meantime, companies who operate in the personal care space, with products like CBD-infused topical creams, beauty products and tinctures, are more likely to receive strategic investments, said the banker and a second banker interviewed for this report. Both noted that regulators are more comfortable with non-digestible products, making them a less risky investment.

Canadian cannabis companies, many of which have dual listings on the Canadian and US stock exchanges, are especially likely to invest in US CBD brands in the near term, each of the sources said. They explained that these businesses provide entry into the US market without jeopardizing their US listings, since THC is still federally illegal in the US.

CBD stands for cannabiodil and lacks the psychoactive properties of THC (which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol). Both naturally occur in marijuana/hemp and the farm bill legalized hemp products with only low concentrations of THC.

Seattle-based Lazarus Naturals, which was founded in 2014 and sells CBD-based supplements and personal care products, is one such company. In an April interview with Mergermarket, CEO Sequoia Price-Lazarus said the business has received approaches from publicly-traded Canadian cannabis companies. Though not pursuing a sale, the executive said the company is considering raising up to $20 million in growth capital this year.

Cannabis producer Canopy Growth’s acquisition of London-based natural skincare company This Works in May was more evidence of hemp producers’ interest in the personal care space.

While some financial sponsors, such as Seattle-based Privateer Holdings, were built specifically to invest in CBD and cannabis brands, each of the sources said most US financial sponsors would be barred from investing in the category since most existing funds restrict investments in the space. Lux said he has “heard of a few” sponsors who are interested in raising CBD-friendly funds, but noted that this could take a significant amount of time.

Strategic buyers across a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, consumer products and food and beverage, are expected to show interest in acquiring CBD brands once FDA regulations become more clear, but in the meantime, activity will be limited to minority investments, particularly from Canada, each of the sources agreed.

“I think people are still trying to figure out where this is going to go,” said Lux. “It’s an industry that didn’t exist 10 years ago and barely existed five years ago, and it sounds cliché, but the sky really is the limit here.”

SOURCE: By Emily Fasold , Forbes

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mergermarket/2019/07/22/cbd-consumer-companies-seeing-high-interest-but-ma-future-clouded-in-smoke/#533e55d25a0f

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