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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – Modern Times Group (MTG) makes $11m investment in gaming & #Esports start-ups $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:28 PM on Wednesday, July 17th, 2019

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

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EGLX: TSX-V
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MTG: $11m investments in gaming & eSports start-ups

  • Investments in H1 2019 amount to a total of $11 million (€9.8m) including capital commitments and span start-up and growth companies in the US and Germany.
  • MTG has to date made 20 investments in 16 companies totalling $21 million thus far from its VC fund to complement its majority stake investments in companies such as ESL and DreamHack in esports and Kongregate and InnoGames in gaming.

Modern Times Group (MTG), the Swedish operational investment company focusing on, eSports and gaming entertainment opportunities worldwide, has revealed its latest VC Fund investments ahead of the company’s Q2 2019 financial report.

  • Investments in H1 2019 amount to a total of $11 million (€9.8m) including capital commitments and span start-up and growth companies in the US and Germany.
  • MTG has to date made 20 investments in 16 companies totalling $21 million thus far from its VC fund to complement its majority stake investments in companies such as ESL and DreamHack in esports and Kongregate and InnoGames in gaming.
  • MTG has its HQ in Stockholm, Sweden, and operates through itself and through its portfolio companies in 30+ countries worldwide.

Among the investments are Redwood City-based Dorian, Austin based game developer Tonk Tonk Games, gamer rewards platform Playfull from Los Angeles, German game studio Sviper founded by Ex-InnoGamers and San Diego-based GoMeta, totalling $11 million in H1 2019.

MTG owns 100 per cent of Swedish DreamHack and over 82 per cent of German founded ESL, the two largest brands in esports worldwide. Its largest VC investments in terms of estimated value are BITKRAFT fund LP positions, AppOnboard, Phoenix Labs, the Play Ventures fund LP position and Sviper. It also owns majority positions in San Francisco-based game studio and publisher Kongregate and German game developer and publisher InnoGames, famous for its hit game Forge of Empires launched 2012 that recently surpassed €500 million in lifetime revenue.

“Gaming and esport is the future of entertainment, and we are excited to invest in what we believe are seven of the most promising early stage startups with excellent teams, products and ideas”, says Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, President and CEO of MTG.

MTG AB complements its majority stake investments with seed and series A round investments in early stage start-ups in gaming and esports through the MTG VC Fund. The ambition is to make eight to 10 deals per year: 60 per cent in gaming, 30 per cent in esports and 10 per cent in AR/VR through lead or co-invests with other top VCs. Since the launch of MTG’s VC Fund in November 2017, the fund has made 20 investments in 16 companies.

“We are already seeing attractive valuation upticks based on latest financing rounds in our investments, such as Phoenix Labs, AppOnboard and the BITKRAFT seed fund. Deal flow and value creation opportunities continue to improve now that we have established MTG as a leading games & esports VC in the West”, says Arnd Benninghoff, EVP esports and games at MTG.

Phoenix Labs recently released its first game in Epic store, AppOnboard recently acquired a no code game creation platform and the BITKRAFT seed fund recently realised an attractive exit of portfolio company The Esports Observer.

In 2018 there were about 2.4 billion video game players in the world, but industry analysts expect that number to grow to 2.9 billion as early as 2022 (Source: Newzoo) – and the global esports audience reached 395 million in 2018 and is expected to grow to 645 million by 2022 (Source: AT Kearney).

Source: https://advanced-television.com/2019/07/17/mtg-11m-investments-in-gaming-esports-start-ups/

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CLIENT FEATURE: Former Ambassador of #India Speaks to the Value of #betterU $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:39 AM on Wednesday, July 17th, 2019

Further to the National Skill Development Corporation partnership with betterU, a joint hold press conference was held in Delhi, India to officially launch their partnership. Read More.

Mr. Prakash has been supportive of betterU’s vision to support Education for All since his time working in Canada as India’s High Commissioner. Mr. Prakash speaks to the media and audience of NSDC and betterU leadership about his views around betterU and the need of India.

FULL DISCLOSURE:  betterU Education Corp. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp

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Great Atlantic Resources $GR.ca Gold Weaker, Bigger Price Move Pending $SIC.ca $MOZ.ca $AGB.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 9:21 AM on Wednesday, July 17th, 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

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.agoracom.com/public/companies/logos/564603/hub/GREATATLANTIC_LOGO_TESTER-e1480712241913.jpg
GR: TSX-V
  • A bigger price move is right on the horizon, probably this week
  • Odds favor that bigger price move being to the upside.

Gold prices are modestly down in early U.S. trading Tuesday. The daily chart for gold shows a “collapse in volatility,” whereby the past three sessions have seen significantly quieter price action. This suggests that a bigger price move is right on the horizon, probably yet this week. Given that the daily gold chart remains bullish, odds favor that bigger price move being to the upside. August gold futures were last down $2.90 an ounce at 1,410.20. September Comex silver prices were last up $0.045 at $15.41 an ounce.

The just-released U.S. retail sales report for June showed a stronger-than-expected rise of 0.4%, which pushed the U.S. dollar index to solid gains on the day and in turn put some downside pressure on the gold market. Asian and European stocks were mixed overnight. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward narrowly mixed openings when the New York day session beings, and are at or near their record and contract highs. So far this week there have been no major news developments in the world to significantly move markets. Thus, typical lackluster mid-summertime trading has set in. However, a very busy day of U.S. economic data may shake loose the present summertime doldrums.

In overnight news, there was a downbeat economic report coming out of Germany, as the ZEW economic expectations index and current conditions index worsened in July. Germany is the economic workhorse for the European Union.

The other key “outside market” today sees Nymex crude oil prices firmer and trading just below $60.00 a barrel.

U.S. economic data due for release Tuesday includes the weekly Johnson Redbook and Goldman Sachs retail sales reports, retail sales, import and export prices, industrial production and capacity utilization, the NAHB housing market index, manufacturing and trade inventories, and Treasury international capital data. Several Federal Reserve officials are also slated for speeches today.

SOURCE: https://www.kitco.com/news/2019-07-16/Gold-Firmer-Bigger-Price-Move-Pending.html

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Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca Provides Corporate Update – Consolidation Shows 350% Growth $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:31 AM on Wednesday, July 17th, 2019
Epw logo1
  • First Signed Franchise Application 
  • Consolidation Shows 350% Growth
  • Retail Product Kiosks Launched 

VANCOUVER, July 17, 2019  - EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE: CBDT) (Frankfurt 8EC) (“Empower” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented CBD life sciences company, and a multi-state operator of medical health & wellness clinics, is pleased to announce it has received it’s first signed franchise application and that the Company has filed on sedar.com, the Business Acquisition Report (BAR) for the Sun Valley Certification Clinics Holdings LLC acquisition.

The Company continues to reach a number of important milestones on its path forward, as a global health and wellness company, serving the needs of patients through its network of physician-staffed health and pain management clinics, formulating CBD based products and developing its first CBD extraction facility.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • First Signed Franchise Application The Company’s Sun Valley Health division has received its first signed application for a Sun Valley Health Franchise in the U.S., marking an important milestone that the Company expects has the potential to change the landscape of how patients and consumers will access qualified and approved physicians for consultations for alternative health and treatment options throughout the country.

  • Company Files Sun Valley Business Acquisition Report (BAR) The Company has filed the required Business Acquisition Report (BAR) for the Sun Valley Certification Clinics Holdings LLC acquisition closed April 30th, 2019. The report highlights the audit of Sun Valley and the consolidation of Empower Clinics and Sun Valley financial results, if combined for full year 2018 and 1Q 2019.

  • Consolidation Shows 350% Growth The Business Acquisition Report (BAR) after the completion of the 2018 Sun Valley audit shows there would be a 350% growth in Company revenues under consolidation. 1Q 2019 consolidated results show there would be in excess of 500% growth under consolidation.

“The Sun Valley acquisition is accretive to the Company in so many tangible ways, through increased brand awareness, to bringing onboard a talented energetic team, and providing even greater access to patients,” said Steven McAuley, CEO of Empower. “With the release of the BAR, we are now able to demonstrate the significant financial benefit these assets provide to our growing company.”

HIGHLIGHTS Continued

  • Retail Product Kiosks Launched The Company has completed the set up of its first full retail product kiosk and display area in one of its key Phoenix clinics, that includes over (40) product SKU’s, including the CBD lines of Sollievo, Sun Valley Science and a variety of premium health supplements.

  • Extraction Facility Progress The Company has submitted its hemp-handlers license application to the Oregon Department of Agriculture and paid the required fees to ensure the new 5,000 sq. ft. facility in Sandy, OR will be fully compliant with all Oregon regulations and permit requirements. Security systems and IT networks have been installed in preparation for the next phase of build-out and extraction equipment installation.

  • CBD Market Demand The passing in the United States of the US$867 billion Agriculture Improvement Act (the “Farm Bill“) has legalized hemp and hemp-based products. This has created an opportunity for the production and sale of a variety of CBD-based products that can provide genuine help and effective relief to millions of people suffering from a variety of qualifying conditions. Recent reports and studies indicate the approval of the Farm Bill could create a US$20 billion industry by 2022.

ABOUT EMPOWER

Empower is a leading multi-state operator of a network of physician-staffed clinics focused on helping patients improve and protect their health through innovative physician recommended treatment options. Operating as a vertically-integrated health & wellness brand with it’s first hemp-derived CBD extraction facility under development, the Company can produce and package its proprietary line of cannabidiol (CBD) based products and distribute through company owned and franchised clinics, with wholesale partnerships, online and with retailers nationwide.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Steven McAuley
Chief Executive Officer

DISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (collectively “forward looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements can frequently be identified by words such as “plans”, “continues”, “expects”, “projects”, “intends”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding; the Company’s intention to open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility, the expected benefits to the Company and its shareholders as a result of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; the terms of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; the effectiveness of the extraction technology; the expected benefits for Empower’s patient base and customers; the benefits of CBD based products; the effect of the approval of the Farm Bill; the growth of the Company’s patient list and that the Company will be positioned to be a market-leading service provider for complex patient requirements in 2019 and beyond. Such statements are only projections, are based on assumptions known to management at this time, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including; that the Company may not open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility; that the hemp-based CBD extraction facility may not be fully operation by Q2 2019 if at all; that legislative changes may have an adverse effect on the Company’s business and product development; that the Company may not be able to obtain adequate financing to pursue its business plan; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; failure to obtain any necessary approvals in connection with the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; and other factors beyond the Company’s control. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Empower Clinics Inc.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2019/17/c6639.html

Investors: Steve Low, Boom Capital Markets, [email protected], 647-620-5101; Investors: Steven McAuley, CEO, [email protected], 604-789-2146; For French inquiries: Remy Scalabrini, Maricom Inc., E: [email protected], T: (888) 585-MARICopyright CNW Group 2019

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Bougainville Ventures $BOG.ca Oregon Hemp Farm Signing LOI with USA Hemp to Process 298 Acres of #Hemp $CROP.ca $VP.ca NF.ca $MCOA

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:25 AM on Wednesday, July 17th, 2019
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  • Announced that its U.S. Subsidiary Worm Casting Farms Inc. has signed a LOI with USA Hemp to process its Hemp derived wet biomass Hemp from its 298 Acre Hemp Farm in Oregon State.
  • USA Hemp possesses 298 Acres of hemp to process for Worm Casting Farms with an estimated 4,250,000 lbs of Hemp derived wet biomass per harvest.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 17, 2019 — BOUGAINVILLE VENTURES INC. (“Bougainville” or the “Company”) (CSE: BOG) (8BV-FF:Frankfurt Stock Exchange) – The Company is pleased to announce that its U.S. Subsidiary Worm Casting Farms Inc. (Worm Casting Farms) has signed a LOI with USA Hemp to process its Hemp derived wet biomass Hemp from its 298 Acre Hemp Farm in Oregon State.

USA Hemp Processing Agreement

Worm Casting Farms intends to enter into a Hemp Processing Agreement with USA Hemp to process wet biomass. The percentage split will be determined in a Definitive Agreement entered into after completion of a due diligence period. Both parties will receive dividends to be realized from the business operations of the Hemp Process Agreement.

USA Hemp possesses 298 Acres of hemp to process for Worm Casting Farms with an estimated 4,250,000 lbs of Hemp derived wet biomass per harvest. Worm Casting Farms will invest approximately $2,500,000 USD in processing equipment that will include; a harvester, shredder, separator, dryer, an extraction & distillation unit, and testing facility. A detailed description will be provided in the Definitive Agreement.

10 Acre Oregon Hemp Farm – Update

Further to the Company’s news release dated July 11, 2019, announcing the contracting of a mobile processing unit (the “Mobile Processing Unit”), the Company is pleased to report that the Mobile Processing Unit will be arriving at the farm on July 22, 2019. The Mobile Processing Unit will process dried biomass hemp from last year’s harvest. The total amount to be processed is approximately 1,700 lbs of bio-mass and processing take approximately 5 days. The anticipated value of the crop is $250,000 USD in gross revenue and the Company anticipates a net revenue before taxes $200,000 USD.

Island Biopharma Inc., — Update

Further to the Company’s news release dated June 11, 2019, the Company has signed a definitive agreement (the “Biopharma Definitive Agreement”) to complete the acquisition of Island Biopharma Inc. (“Biopharma”). Biopharma has developed a dedicated line of Cannabidiol derived (“CBD”) products which include a proprietary CBD blended tincture product with three specific recipes for anxiety, energy and sleep.

According to an estimate from cannabis industry analysts the hemp-CBD market alone could reach $22 billion by 2022. CBD can be used to effectively to treat epilepsy, anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain. The Island Biopharma CBD line is designed to harness the healing power of cannabis without the psychotropic effects of THC.

Pursuant to the Biopharma Definitive Agreement the Company will acquire 100% of Biopharma assets and current inventory. In return for total consideration consisting of 10 million common shares of Bougainville at a deemed price of CAD$0.07 per share equivalent to CDN$700,000. Biopharma will contribute operational expertise, exclusive licenses for products marketed in North America supported by an intellectual property licensing agreement, and exclusivity for all current and future technology for oil extraction in North America, which will include sourcing of ingredients, nutritional chart, shelf-life, as well as cost of ingredients and contacts. The final evaluation was determined by an independent third-party evaluator.

About Island Biopharma Inc.

Biopharma has developed CBD blended formulas for tincture product with three specific recipes for anxiety, energy and sleep. The philosophy of Biopharma is to create products using the highest quality of bio-active ingredients, and oil extraction methods that preserve the essence of the cannabis plant. Biopharma has studied plant genetics for their therapeutic effects by incorporating modern research techniques and by analyzing the healing and therapeutic benefits of each strain giving the company a huge range of combinations and therapeutic benefits for specific ailments.

About Bougainville Ventures, Inc.
Bougainville Ventures Inc. is dedicated to rapid growth in production, processing, retail and branding of cannabis and cannabis related products. Currently the company provides strategic capital to the thriving cannabis cultivation sector through ownership and development of commercial real estate properties. We offer fully built out turnkey facilities equipped with state-of-the-art growing infrastructure to cannabis growers and processors. Also, the Company is focused on building a strong presence in the hemp industry with the objective of extracting cannabinoids in both Canada and the United States. Along with our flagship Hemp project in Oregon State and the Greenhouse campus in Washington state, the Company has proprietary formulas for cannabis edibles, topical, and tinctures.

On behalf of the Board of Directors
BOUGAINVILLE VENTURES INC.

Andy Jagpal, President and Director

For further information, please contact Andy Jagpal at [email protected]. Please note that our Toll free number has changed to 1-877-517-7816.

http://bougainvilleinc.com/
https://twitter.com/bougainvilleinc

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release.

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$HPQ.ca Silicon Challenges Traditional Producers Of #Silicon Metal With Unheard Of 85%-90% Cost Reductions To Construct Plants $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:42 PM on Tuesday, July 16th, 2019

HPQ Silicon (HPQ:TSXV) has thrown down the gauntlet with respect to traditional, mega producers of silicon metal with the following recent press release:

“HPQ PUREVAP™ Commercial Plant Costing Indicates Significant Capex Savings Versus Conventional Plants Producing Silicon Metal” 
In the actual press release itself, HPQ went even further with the following bold statement:

“With the Gen3 phase start just around the corner, we are getting closer to the time when market participants will have no choice but to take notice that we are the only viable low Capex and Opex alternative to producing Silicon Metal.”

If that wasn’t enough, HPQ Silicon made direct reference to the two newest silicon metal plants to demonstrate massive capital cost and operating cost advantages.  Specifically:

  • PCC BakkiSilicon hf ($300 Million Plant)
  • Mississippi Silicon ($220 Million Plant) 

The gravity of these bold statements is even greater when you consider that HPQ’s world renown partners include Apollon Solar and PyroGenesis Canada, the latter of whom provided the data that led to the press release.  

When you take a break from the summer heat, grab yourself a cold beverage and watch this interview with CEO, Bernard Tourillon.  You just may thank yourself by the time winter arrives!

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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – #Esports Company #100Thieves Raises $35 Million In Series B $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:16 AM on Tuesday, July 16th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment $GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB

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Esports Company 100 Thieves Raises $35 Million In Series B

  • 100 Thieves, the esports company co-owned by Grammy-winning artist Drake, talent manager Scooter Braun, billionaire Dan Gilbert and former pro gamer Matt “Nadeshot” Haag, announced today that it’s closed a $35 million Series B.
  • Funding round was led by New York-based private equity and growth investment firm Artist Capital Management. Its chief investment officer Josh Dienstag will join the 100 Thieves board of directors.

Matt Perez Forbes Staff

100 Thieves, the esports company co-owned by Grammy-winning artist Drake, talent manager Scooter Braun, billionaire Dan Gilbert and former pro gamer Matt “Nadeshot” Haag, announced today that it’s closed a $35 million Series B.

The funding round was led by New York-based private equity and growth investment firm Artist Capital Management. Its chief investment officer Josh Dienstag will join the 100 Thieves board of directors. The rest of the round is made up of previous backers like Braun and Gilbert along with a new investment from Aglaé Ventures, the investing arm of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy-owner Groupe Arnault.

The Series B brings the company’s total funding to $60 million. Other investors include Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Dropbox CEO Drew Houston and venture firm Sequoia Capital. Forbes last fall estimated the company was worth $90 million after a single year of competing.

The fresh capital will go toward a 15,000-square-foot training facility and headquarters in Los Angeles, as well as for expanding into new games and increasing its apparel production.

The facility will be the “center of the universe for all things 100 Thieves,” according to Haag, the company’s founder and CEO, as well as a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum. “We’ve grown a lot in this past year…so it’s finally time to put our flag in the ground and make some place our permanent home.”

Settling in as early as this October, the offices will house the company’s staff including players, coaches and content creators, and will serve not just as a production studio and training space, but also as a retail storefront for fans. Unlike many esports companies, 100 Thieves has made its retail arm a significant piece of its overall revenue. All of its seasonal apparel drops have sold out in 20 minutes or less, with each one selling faster and with 50% more product. Its most recent sale in April brought in over half-a-million dollars after selling out in five minutes.

“I don’t think it’s even scratched the surface of what it can be in the future,” Haag says.

The demand during 100 Thieves product launches speaks to the company’s business model—mixing competitive esports teams with a stable of popular influencers like Jack “CouRage” Dunlop and Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter. The tactic might prove useful if talk of a soon-to-burst esports bubble becomes a reality.

“We’ve insulated our business in way where, this bubble that everyone continues to talk about, if it were to pop or there were less interest from investors or sponsors or whatever the case may be, we’re not going to live and die by esports and esports alone,” Haag says. “If esports were to disappear tomorrow, we’d still have a really great business strategy in my opinion.”

Not to say Haag isn’t still “all-in” on competitive gaming. According to Haag, 100 Thieves boasts the second-highest payroll in the North American League of Legends Championship Series, and part of the new investment is meant for expansion in the space. One title particularly linked to 100 Thieves is Call of Duty, around which its publisher Activison Blizzard is planning a city-based league with franchised team slots reportedly priced at $25 million, according to ESPN. Haag, who came up as a Call of Duty pro and whose team’s first championship came in the game earlier this year, says “We’re definitely still thinking through it.”

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2019/07/16/esports-company-100-thieves-raises-35-million-in-series-b/#120c3f334b15

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BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – #Amazon $AMZN Enters #Edtech Sector With Beta Launch Of Test Prep App $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:55 AM on Tuesday, July 16th, 2019
SPONSOR:  Betteru Education Corp. Connecting global leading educators to the mass population of India. BetterU Education has ability to reach 100 MILLION potential learners each week. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

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Amazon Enters Edtech Sector With Beta Launch Of Test Prep App

  • Amazon has launched the IIT JEE Ready test prep app in beta
  • The app was debuted last month and has had over 1K installs
  • This is Amazon’s first edtech product for the Indian market

Global ecommerce giant Amazon has been playing several cards to make more headway in the Indian market. Besides running the ecommerce marketplace and AWS cloud services, the company has also added a grocery vertical and is focussing on India-first content for Amazon Prime Video. Now, the Jeff Bezos-led company is entering a new territory with the launch of its first edtech app.

Inc42 noted that Amazon has introduced the JEE Ready app in beta phase, which lets students take free mock tests for their preparation of Indian engineering test i.e. IIT JEE. The app, which has been released on the Google Play Store by Amazon Mobile LLC and was launched last month.

First spotted by NextBigWhat, JEE Ready lets users take mock tests to prepare for real entrance exams and has over 1K installs so far. Users can log in with their Amazon ID and add details such as their target year and the coaching institute they have enrolled in. Amazon currently lists a few coaching institutes but the test served to students is the same at the moment.

The users can then take mock tests and submit their answers for review and results. These results can be compared to scores by other users to identify strength areas and weak subjects.

JEE Ready: Amazon Enters Tight Edtech Market

The Indian government in its draft national education policy has said that technology will play an important role in the improvement of the education system in the country. The draft policy says that the relationship between technology and education at all levels is bidirectional. ADVERTISEMENT

Led by education technology startups, this revolution has now tapped offline players as well.

With its obsession for coaching institutes, India is a great market for edtech disruption, and the test prep market is one of the largest in the world. Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends 2019 report said that online education space has been attracting huge traction and growth over the past few years in India. The report noted that annual viewership hours of ‘How To’ videos has reached 4.5 Bn with 59% next generation users citing it their preferred learning tool.

Edtech players such as Toppr, Unacademy etc have launched digital IIT JEE preparation products to some degree of success so Amazon has its work cut out in this sector. Additionally, the likes of BYJU’S, upGrad, TestBook and others have also made a name for themselves in this sector, so Amazon will definitely have steep competition in the edtech space.

According to DataLabs by Inc42, there were 3,500 edtech startups in India in 2018. Between 2014 and 2018, 182 edtech startups were funded with a total of $1.34 Bn, so the investor interest has remained high for edtech, and this could explain Amazon’s entry despite the long list of competitors.

Source: https://inc42.com/buzz/amazon-launches-iit-jee-ready-app-to-enter-edtech-sector/

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North Bud Farms Inc. $NBUD.ca – The Week In Cannabis: #Jay-Z Joins #Caliva, #Congress Holds #Marijuana Hearings, #CannTrust Gets Smoked, And More $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:22 PM on Monday, July 15th, 2019

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

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The Week In Cannabis: Jay-Z Joins Caliva, Congress Holds Marijuana Hearings, CannTrust Gets Smoked, And More

Javier Hasse

  • Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z entered the cannabis industry this week, announcing he’d be joining the California brand Caliva as chief brand strategist.
  • “Jay-Z entering the cannabis space reaffirms that effective brands will drive the future of the cannabis industry.

We applaud his efforts to be a part of the solution in righting the disproportionate impact that the war on drugs has had on minority communities. Jay personifies the perfect mix of celebrity, entrepreneur and true brand,” said Kraig Fox, CEO of High Times, which first reported the news. 

On the policy front, Hawaii decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and the U.S. Congress held a landmark hearing regarding cannabis legalization and the need to reform. Here’s what legalization advocates had to say. In addition, the FDA said it was “expediting its work to address the many questions about cannabidiol (CBD),” and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) introduced bills in Congress that seek to ensure that people with low-level drug convictions are still able to access public housing, reported Kyle Jaeger on Marijuana Moment.

We also saw a new ETF debut on the NYSE this week. The Cannabis ETF (NYSE: THCX) launched by Innovation Shares claims to be the only pure-play cannabis ETF, with no exposure to tobacco or alcohol.

The fund has lower fees than its NYSE peers and differentiates itself from others on the back of its monthly rebalancing strategy, versus a more standard quarterly rebalancing approach, fund adviser Jon Najarian told Benzinga. 

CannTrust Holdings Inc (NYSE: CTST) got smoked after Health Canada discovered one of its facilities was non-compliant with regulations. Later in the week, it was reported that illicitly produced cannabis had been not only sold in Canada but also exported to Denmark.

“420 Investor” Alan Brochstein told Benzinga he thinks CEO Peter Aceto should apologize for violating Health Canada rules and resign.

Debra Borchardt, CEO of Green Market Report, said the CannTrust scandal shows that public cannabis companies can’t always be trusted to do the right thing. 

“This company grew plants in an unlicensed room and figured they’d get away with it, which is a sign of incredibly poor judgment since this is such a highly regulated industry. They also admitted to storage problems at another facility and have since stopped sales,” she said. 

The poor decision-making by company leaders hurts patients and shareholders alike, Borchardt said.

“Hiring a quality control officer after the fact just shows this company did too little too late.”

We invite you to check out our story of the week: “From Coffee To Cannabis: Colombian Legislators To Move For Adult-Use Legalization.”

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/week-cannabis-jay-z-joins-190322597.html

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CLIENT FEATURE: Spyder Cannabis $SPDR.ca An Established Chain of High-End #Vape Stores With Aggressive Expansion Plans $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:11 PM on Monday, July 15th, 2019

WHY SPYDER CANNABIS?

  • Developed a scalable retail model with aggressive expansion plan to create a significant retail footprint and establishing strategic partners as a top priority
  • Targeted and disciplined retail distribution strategy focusing on high quality, high traffic peripheral areas
  • Focused strategy aimed at vertical, horizontal and geographic diversification with demonstrated operations expertise and proven retail roll-out
  • Opened two additional stores in July for a total of 5 locations

Retail Locations

The Lundys Lane Location, two other retail locations that Spyder operates in Burlington and Calgary and a location that it intends to open in Guelph, subject to negotiating satisfactory terms with the landlord, will all be converted into cannabis retail stores as part of the Company’s “Cannabis Turn-Key Strategy”.

Under phase one of the Turn-Key Strategy

  • Spyder intends to operate a number of retail locations that will, in contrast to a number of its competitors, generate revenue by operating as retailers of a variety of non-cannabis products.

Under phase two of the Turn-Key Strategy

  • Spyder will, subject to the receipt of cannabis retail licences from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission, convert these retailers into cannabis stores at the earliest possible opportunity.
  • The Company believes this strategy will allow it to generate stable revenue streams during the interim period before the stores receive a retail cannabis licence, and will allow the Company to swiftly pivot into the sale of cannabis products once appropriate licences have been received.

The Opportunity

Established Product Portfolio

 Hemp-Derived Market Opportunity

Retail Layout

FULL DISCLOSURE: Spyder Cannabis is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

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