Agoracom Blog

Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Forms New Jersey Subsidiary to Pursue Licensing Strategy in United States. Receives Additional $1.86 Million From Exercise of Warrants $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:08 AM on Tuesday, May 26th, 2020
  • Announced the formation of a new wholly owned subsidiary, “GMBL New Jersey Inc.”, to pursue gambling licenses throughout the United States
  • Company expects to make its first such application with the State of New Jersey in the near future and will provide updates for each anticipated application as they are submitted in each available jurisdiction
  • “The US market represents a very big opportunity for us and thanks to the continued support of our valued shareholders, we intend to aggressively pursue it in 2020 and beyond.” said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group.

BIRKIRKARA, Malta, May 26, 2020 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NasdaqCM: GMBL, GMBLW) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, is pleased to announce the formation of a new wholly owned subsidiary, “GMBL New Jersey Inc.”, for the express purpose of commencing its strategy to pursue gambling licenses throughout the United States that will further the Company’s esports gambling market.  The Company expects to make its first such application with the State of New Jersey in the near future and will provide updates for each anticipated application as they are submitted in each available jurisdiction.

The Company’s US operations will be based in New Jersey, where the Company expects to establish facilities and operating personnel.  

COMPANY RECEIVES ADDITIONAL $1.9 MILLION FROM WARRANT EXERCISES

Investors participating in the Esports Entertainment Group’s public offering of securities which was consummated on April 14, 2020 (the “April Offering”),  exercised a total of 439,844 warrants at a price of $4.25 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $1,860,000 as of May 22, 2020. 

Combined with the Company’s announcement on May 15th in which, the underwriters of the April Offering partially exercised and closed on their over-allotment option and purchased an additional 209,400 shares of common stock from the Company for gross proceeds of $885,762,  the Company has received  an aggregate of approximately $2,750,000 to date in the month of May  significantly bolstering its financial strength and resources necessary to execute its business plan.       

“Today’s announcement marks yet another significant milestone and provides the market with even greater insight as to our growth strategy,” said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group.  “The US market represents a very big opportunity for us and thanks to the continued support of our valued shareholders, we intend to aggressively pursue it in 2020 and beyond.” 

ABOUT ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. The Company holds a license to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Malta and Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and is able to accept wagers from over 149 jurisdictions including Canada, Japan, Germany and South Africa. Esports Entertainment offers fantasy, pools, fixed odds and exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company maintains offices in Malta. For more information visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.

Contact:

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

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

Eurolife Brands $EURO.ca and Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca Form Global Mushroom Education Initiative $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:59 AM on Tuesday, May 26th, 2020
  • New initiative expands the original agreement by formalizing a cloud-based, globally accessible, leading educational experience for patients, clinics, and academic circles to participate, learn, interact, and create information on the uses, treatments, and applications of mushrooms for health and wellness
  • Will be positioned as an educational platform but will also accept clinical trial results, integrate with universities and academic circles, provide knowledge and a safe learning experience free from the outside influence of mis-information

Toronto, Ontario–(May 26, 2020) –  EuroLife Brands (CSE: EURO) (FSE: 3CMA) (OTC PINK: EURPF) (“EuroLife” or the “Company”), a vertically integrated enterprise focused on the pan-European health and wellness sector, is pleased to announce that further to the definitive agreement announced on May 15th, 2020 the Company is forming a global mushroom education initiative with Empower Clinics Inc. (CSE: CBDT) (OTCQB: EPWCF) (FSE: 8EC) (“Empower“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented life sciences company.

The new initiative expands the original agreement by formalizing a cloud-based, globally accessible, leading educational experience for patients, clinics, and academic circles to participate, learn, interact, and create information on the uses, treatments, and applications of mushrooms for health and wellness. The global initiative will be positioned as an educational platform but will also accept clinical trial results, integrate with universities and academic circles, provide knowledge and a safe learning experience free from the outside influence of mis-information.

“Our global mushroom education initiative will provide significantly more information pertaining to the treatment of a number of ailments using these alternative plant-based treatment options,” said Steven McAuley, chairman and chief executive officer of Empower. “We are proud to bring premium health and wellness products to our patients online and in our clinics and mushrooms are already a part of our expanding product line in this category. We look forward to working with the team at EuroLife to launch this initiative in the very near future.”

“We have an opportunity to be one of the first online education platforms to deliver information on the benefits of using mushrooms for nutrition and health and wellness,” said Shawn Moniz, Chief Executive Officer, EuroLife Brands Inc. “Our Cannvas.me education portal is scalable and provides quick and easy access to Empower employees, medical professionals and retail consumers who are in need of this important information. We will continue to leverage our technology to move EuroLife forward.”

A report produced by Research and Markets estimates the global mushroom market was over US$38 billion in 2017 and forecasted to expand at a CAGR of 7.9 per cent from 2018 to 2026. Increasing consumer awareness regarding the health benefits offered by mushrooms is a key factor influencing the growth of the mushroom market at present. Consumer mushroom consumption in supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, and cafeterias are also expected to add to the market demand. Mushrooms are considered a super food as they contain protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, with a great deal of nutritional value and micronutrients. They are low in carbohydrates, high in fiber, and a good source of B-vitamins (riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and niacin), iron, and selenium. 

EuroLife and Empower will create a mushroom portal which will leverage the same technology platform used for EuroLife’s cannabis portal and will include educational modules on a wide range of topics. The platform will also incorporate dynamic and interactive elements to facilitate learning.

About Empower Clinics Inc.

Empower is a vertically integrated health & wellness brand with a network of corporate and franchised health & wellness clinics in the U.S. The Company is building its first hemp-derived CBD extraction facility and produces its proprietary line of cannabidiol (CBD) based products. The Company is a leading multi-state operator of a network of physician-staffed wellness clinics, focused on helping patients improve and protect their health, through innovative physician recommended treatment options. The Company has launched Dosed Wellness Ltd. to connect its significant data, to the potential of the efficacy of alternative treatment options related to hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) therapies, psilocybin and other psychedelic plant-based treatment options.

About EuroLife Brands Inc.

EuroLife Brands (CSE: EURO) (FSE: 3CMA) (OTCPK: EURPF) is a vertically integrated enterprise focused on the pan-European health and wellness sector.

For additional information:

Contact: [email protected] or visit EuroLifeBrands.com

No stock exchange or securities regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements, such as estimates and statements that describe the Issuers future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Issuer or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Companys Managements Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedar.com.

Why #Esports and #Bitcoin are a natural match – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:20 PM on Monday, May 25th, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

Why esports and Bitcoin are a natural match

  • Some market projections claim esports could even eclipse popular sports tournaments like Formula One or the UEFA Champions League in revenues, topping US$2.3 billion by 2022
  • Moreover, those projections were made before March 2020, when the world began its preference for online interaction over physical crowds thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic

By Guest Contributor

Esports, aka competitive video game tournaments, is one of those ideas that’s been touted as perfect for Bitcoin since the beginning. Easy payments and prize pools, portable game item ownership, provably fair games with permanent and transparent records, anti-cheating measures, accessibility from anywhere, and a billion-dollar market. So where are the stadium-sized Bitcoin esports events? Let’s take a look at the issues to find out why you might be seeing some soon.

It’s not as though no one has tried to make Bitcoin esports a thing. Like many other ambitious ideas, though, they often ran into the blockchain industry’s technical (and human) limitations. Bitcoin Core’s (BTC) hobbled block size nixed the idea of any kind of blockchain there. Others, like Ethereum and EOS, have had more appeal for game builders but still suffer from those platforms’ technical and scaling limitations.

Then there’s the problem of convincing the big companies and players in the gaming industry that Bitcoin offers the benefits they’re looking for. This is common in any industry. Even if you believe in Bitcoin and want to build your own esports platform from scratch, there’s the challenge of attracting enough game designing and building talent away from the mainstream producers.

Enter Bitcoin SV, which in early 2020 restored the original Bitcoin protocol and removed all data limits. Companies like Kronoverse, with its “CryptoFights” combat/strategy game, have made the jump from Ethereum to Bitcoin and serve as the most prominent demonstration of Bitcoin’s esports capabilities.

Kronoverse have cited advantages unique to blockchain, like verifiable results, betting on matches, and game item ownership, as reasons why they chose to build their competition on Bitcoin. They also saw Bitcoin BSV as more technically capable than Ethereum and its Enjin gaming platform.

CEO Adam Kling said, “When I looked at the scaling roadmap of Ethereum, it became clear that we were never going to be able to have a million players playing on Kronoverse. Instead, everyone is having to develop layer-two technologies and are only submitting the results to the Ethereum blockchain. With Bitcoin SV, we wouldn’t have to do that.”

All about esports

The worlds of “esports,” “online gaming” and “online gambling” share many similarities, but there are components unique to each. We’ll explain the history and background for esports to get an idea what distinguishes it.

Esports as a concept has been around since the 1970s and 80s, but if you’re old enough to remember those times you’ll also remember the games back then weren’t much of a spectacle. Still, there’s always been a certain rush from watching someone play a game you like really well, and the same intensity in watching people compete to be number one on the leaderboard.

It was the advent of multiplayer games, though, that really saw esports take off. Rather than just trying to achieve the highest score, competitors could now play directly against each other in the same game—just like regular sports.

Esports can involve any kind of game. The nature of the market has meant combat games like Counter Strike, League of Legends, StarCraft II and Dota2 have gained the most attention, and many were designed with esports in mind. But there’s plenty of opportunity for simpler games and games for all demographics. All that’s needed is someone to organize the competition and build the system.

Kronoverse’s CryptoFights, for example, is designed for competition yet played only on mobile devices. The possibilities it and other similar ideas offer are endless.

New #CryptoFights website is live! https://t.co/7dCUZafRlD #kronoverse #indiegame #esports #bitcoinsv pic.twitter.com/xVLZ9LJiRA — Crypto Fights (@CryptoFights) May 13, 2020

There’s been a lot of debate over the years over whether esports can be classified as “legitimate sports”. However that argument is pretty irrelevant if esports tournaments can haul in crowds (and money) on par with the more physical kind.

Some market projections claim esports could even eclipse popular sports tournaments like Formula One or the UEFA Champions League in revenues, topping US$2.3 billion by 2022. Moreover, those projections were made before March 2020, when the world began its preference for online interaction over physical crowds thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Esports tournaments have frequently taken place in actual stadiums. But if it’s the kind of game or tournament that can be played online, esports is actually more accessible to more potential competitors, enhancing its appeal.

Claims that 106 million people watched the World Esports competition in 2017 was enough for even the International Olympic Committee to hold a summit on the matter. While participants argued esports could be considered sports, there were concerns over violent game content and the lack of an international regulatory body. There are still campaigns to feature esports at Olympic events somehow, even if as a demonstration sport or showcase side event for starters.

Just like regular sports, though, you don’t need to be playing at tournament or stadium level to enjoy them—or even make money. Competitions can be any size, and prize money can be pooled from admission fees even if there isn’t a corporate sponsor. Home viewers can interact with the tournament in more ways than say, a football match on TV. There’s also a secondary market for gambling on who’ll win, if that’s permitted in your jurisdiction.

Transparency, fairness and the problem of cheating

Game integrity—whether esports games are equally fair to all players, and detecting who might be cheating—has been a big problem for the industry. This is especially true if a tournament happens online and if players are using their own devices.

Kronoverse says Bitcoin plays a big part in overcoming these problems. Game elements like item ownership, game rules and moves can all be recorded on the blockchain permanently. Others can scrutinize and analyze these records to see if anything untoward has taken place, no matter when the game was played.

Here’s where Bitcoin’s unlimited scalability comes into play. Blockchains designed for data processing, like Ethereum, have hit snags when on-chain projects became popular. BTC can’t do data. Both have had to lean on second-layer protocols to handle large quantities of data (or in BTC’s case, anything much at all) and all these “solutions” come with their own set of costs.

Still, it will take one successful esports platform to run on Bitcoin BSV before larger players will see its benefits in action. Kronoverse hopes to be that leader, and has been beta-testing CryptoFights since late 2019. It hopes to hold more open betas in the coming months and launch a marketplace by the end of 2020, with a fully-playable game and competition following after.

Source: https://calvinayre.com/2020/05/25/bitcoin/why-esports-and-bitcoin-are-a-natural-match/

#Edtech Boom Boosted by Experiences in Lockdown – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:43 PM on Monday, May 25th, 2020

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. betterU / Ottolearn launch FREE COVID-19 mobile resource toolkit to fight the global crisis – Click here for more information.

Edtech Boom Boosted by Experiences in Lockdown

  • Coronavirus lockdown opens new paths for online education
  • The edtech field may see its growth accelerating even faster because of pandemic
  • The world of education and worker retraining has been upended by the coronavirus, with many changes that could have long-lasting impacts

By: Bruce Rule

Teacher Kai Frazier had a hard time persuading venture capital investors to consider her online education startup, which provides virtual-reality tours of museums and historic sites for children. Then the deadly coronavirus caused societies to shut down worldwide.

“VCs thought that this was only for poor kids who couldn’t afford to go to museums,” Frazier told Karma. “COVID-19 took that argument out” and led potential investors to reconsider Kai XR, she said. Now, Frazier is in the midst of a funding round that may net between $500,000 and $1 million.

With almost 1.2 billion children locked out of schools and millions of adults out of work around the globe, the deadly coronavirus pandemic is forcing the world to re-examine how best to educate and retrain people. That may spur even faster growth of online education, a field that was already expected to surge to $319 billion by 2025 from $188 billion last year.

“COVID-19 is a terrible thing, but what it also did was break down structures that weren’t serving a lot of people,” Frazier said. “Online education may quickly become the classroom experience.”

Her company produces virtual reality tours — like this one of the Obama portraits — that will be viewed online for a monthly subscription fee on a platform that launched last month. The company has seen a 200% increase in people signing up for a free demonstration because of the pandemic.

With VR tours, a child can have a wide range of experiences — from touring a Negro League baseball museum to seeing how a windmill works — that might not otherwise be available because of cost or distance, Frazier said. Online can provide a “diverse education.”

Investors certainly are betting so. A record $18.7 billion was invested in edtech companies worldwide last year, according to research firm Metaari. The pandemic doesn’t seem to have killed enthusiasm for the field. In March, online education company Yuanfudao of China raised $1 billion in a finance round led by Tencent Holdings and private equity firm Hillhouse Capital Group.

According to education research firm HolonIQ, a lot of that growth will eventually be in emerging markets in India, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa, “where multi-billion dollar funds are being set up to deploy capital into education and other ESG and impact sectors.”
   
Worker retraining also has become a hot topic, with a White House advisory panel last week saying new pathways are needed for the unemployed to upgrade their skills and learn new ones so they can find jobs in fields that are expected to rebound first.

Guild Education is responding to that need. The edtech company was founded in 2015 to help employers including Chipotle, Disney and Walmart create education programs for workers by connecting companies with higher-ed programs at nonprofit universities.

Earlier this month, Guild launched the Next Chapter platform, which enables employers to
provide laid-off workers with access to reskilling programs and hands-on coaching to help them qualify for new positions in areas where demand will increase as the economy reopens.

“Next Chapter was created to help workers make the leap to higher wage” positions, Rachel Carlson, Guild’s CEO, said in an email to Karma.

Investors are also jumping into the field of worker training. Online training platform GO1.com announced this week it raised $40 million in Series C funding.
 
“What has been made clear through this pandemic is the importance of disseminating knowledge across borders, companies, and all parts of society,” The World Economic Forum said in a report last month. “If online learning technology can play a role here, it is incumbent upon all of us to explore its full potential.”

Source: https://karmaimpact.com/edtech-boom-boosted-by-experiences-in-lockdown/

Mota Ventures $MOTA.ca Signs LOI to Acquire Ecommerce Platform Leader Unified Funding, LLC, Which Generated $96.5m in Consumer Transactions in 2019 $APH.ca $GBLX $PFE $ACG.ca $ACB.ca $WEED.ca $HIP.ca $WMD.ca $CGRW

Posted by AGORACOM at 1:02 PM on Saturday, May 23rd, 2020
  • Unified has a database of over one million customers and facilitated over $375,000,000(Cdn) in consumer transactions
  • Unified’s platform generates revenue from licensing, marketing and product fulfillment fees, supporting brands in skin care, essential oils, men’s health, weight management and CBD

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2020 / Mota Ventures Corp. (CSE:MOTA)(FSE:1WZ:GR)(OTC PINK:PEMTF) (the “Company”) is excited to announce it has entered into a Letter of Intent (the “LOI”) dated May 21, 2020, to evaluate the acquisition (the “Proposed Transaction”) of Unified Funding, LLC (“Unified”). Since inception in 2015, Unified has generated a database of over one million customers and has facilitated over Cdn$375,000,000 in consumer transactions. Powered by its proprietary technology platform, Unified has created an eCommerce ecosystem to scale its brands and achieve profitability targets through data analysis, strategic customer acquisition and supply chain management. Founded by partners with more than a decade of eCommerce and technology experience, Unified has rapidly grown into a formidable business focused on aggressive expansion in the natural health products market. Unified’s diverse platform generates revenue from; licensing, marketing and product fulfillment fees supporting brands in skin care, essential oils, men’s health, weight management and CBD including MOTA’s recently audited Nature’s Exclusive brand. Figures presented in this news release were translated from US dollars into Canadian dollars using the Bank of Canada closing exchange rate on May 22, 2020 of US$1.00:Cdn$1.3892.

“A transaction with Unified is another step forward in our expansion as a global eCommerce business. This is the platform and personnel necessary for MOTA to launch and grow brands, such as Nature’s Exclusive, which we acquired from Unified in January of 2020. Unified has developed a comprehensive eCommerce platform that is ideally suited for the natural health products sector. Integration of their platform and the personnel to run it will allow us to rapidly deploy new products and expand into new natural health product segments and markets,” stated Ryan Hoggan, CEO of the Company.

Beyond Unified’s comprehensive eCommerce technology platform, their services assist brands with launching and scaling customer acquisition strategies. Through a worldwide network of media partners, Unified is able to closely monitor market trends to guide product innovation and marketing strategies that yield profitable results.

“We have created a very comprehensive eCommerce platform with a team of data analysis, strategic customer acquisition and supply chain management experts that has been proven effective for rapid expansion of natural health brands. We are hopeful that a transaction with Mota will allow our group to use our skills to expand into additional international markets, create new natural health brands and reach more consumers. Mota’s access to capital markets to raise growth capital to invest in customer acquisition will give us a distinct advantage to quickly scale, diversify and expand into new high growth product offerings,” stated Kevin Keranen, Chairman of Unified.

Readers are cautioned that the LOI entered into with Unified does not set forth the terms of the Proposed Transaction, nor have such terms been finalized. Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including, not limited to, completion of due diligence, negotiation of definitive documentation, and the receipt of any required regulatory approvals. The Proposed Transaction cannot be completed until these conditions are satisfied and there can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed at all.

The Proposed Transaction is not expected to constitute a fundamental change for the Company, nor is it expected to result in a change of control of the Company, within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Company will provide further information regarding its review of Unified, and the Proposed Transaction, as that information becomes available.

About Mota Ventures Corp.

Mota is an established eCommerce, direct to consumer provider of a wide range of CBD products in the United States and Europe. In the United States, the company sells a CBD hemp-oil formulation derived from hemp grown and formulated in the US through its Nature’s Exclusive brands. Within Europe, its Sativida brand of award winning 100% organic CBD oils and cosmetics are sold throughout Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Mota Ventures is also seeking to acquire additional revenue producing CBD brands and operations in both Europe and North America, with the goal of establishing an international distribution network for CBD products. Low cost production, coupled with international, direct to customer, sales channels will provide the foundation for the success of Mota Ventures.

About Unified Funding, LLC

Founded in 2015 by partners with more than a decade of eCommerce and technology experience, Unified has rapidly grown into a formidable organization focused on aggressive expansion in the natural health products market. Powered by its proprietary technology platform, the company has created an eCommerce ecosystem to scale its brands and achieve profitability targets through data analysis, strategic customer acquisition and supply chain management. For more information about Unified, please visit https://www.unifiedbrandlab.com/.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MOTA VENTURES CORP.

Ryan Hoggan
Chief Executive Officer

For further information, readers are encouraged to contact Joel Shacker, President & CEO at +604.423.4733 or by email at [email protected]or www.motaventuresco.com

GM Says It’s Developing EV Battery To Last 1 Million Miles SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals $LMR.ca $CJC.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 8:20 PM on Friday, May 22nd, 2020

SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko has an option for 100% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information

Not long after it was revealed that Tesla is edging closer to making a million-mile electric vehicle battery, General Motors has stated it is on the verge of doing the same.

While speaking at a recent online investor conference, GM executive vice president Doug Parks revealed the car manufacturer is working on next-generation batteries that will be even more advanced than the Ultium battery that it unveiled back in March.

Parks said that the car manufacturer is “almost there” with the new long-life battery and added that “multiple teams” at GM are working on advances including zero-cobalt electrodes, solid state electrolytes and ultra-fast charging, Reuters reports.

GM’s Ultium batteries are unique because the large-format, pouch-style cells can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack, allowing engineers to optimize battery energy storage and layout for each vehicle design. Ultium energy options will range from 50 kWh to 200 kWh allowing for up to 400 miles (644 km) or more of range on each charge and vehicles that can sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h) in as little as 3 seconds.

Most future electric vehicles produced by GM with the Ultium batteries will have 400-volt battery packs and up to 200 kW fast-charging capabilities, while the brand’s truck platform will have 800-volt battery packs and 350 kW fast-charging capability.

While GM may be close to developing a million-mile battery, Tesla looks set to beat them to the punch. Thanks to a partnership with China’s CATL, the electric automaker’s million-mile battery could premiere in Chinese-built Model 3s later this year or early next year.

SOURCE: https://www.carscoops.com/2020/05/gm-says-its-developing-ev-battery-to-last-1-million-miles/

Primo Nutraceuticals $PRMO.ca Receives NPN (Natural Product Number) from Health Canada $CROP.ca $VP.ca NF.ca $MCOA

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:42 PM on Friday, May 22nd, 2020

– Received its NPN (Natural Product Number) from Health Canada.

– Primo Nutraceuticals hand sanitizers meet Health Canada’s requirements for safety, effectiveness and quality.

– In response to the increasing demand for hand sanitizers in Canada during the current COVID-19 pandemic, Health Canada has implemented an interim expedited licensing approach to help businesses like Primo to obtain the required authorizations to produce and distribute hand sanitizer.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 22, 2020 — PRIMO NUTRACEUTICALS INC. (CSE: PRMO) (OTC: BUGVF) (FSE: 8BV) (DEU: 8BV) (MUN: 8BV) (STU: 8BV) (“Primo” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has received its NPN (Natural Product Number) from Health Canada. Primo Nutraceuticals hand sanitizers meet Health Canada’s requirements for safety, effectiveness and quality.

In response to the increasing demand for hand sanitizers in Canada during the current COVID-19 pandemic, Health Canada has implemented an interim expedited licensing approach to help businesses like Primo to obtain the required authorizations to produce and distribute hand sanitizer. Consistent with the interim measure for alcohol-based hand sanitizers currently in place, Primo’s hand sanitizer can be distributed to healthcare and commercial settings across Canada.

The Natural Product Number NPN 80099466 issued to Primo will be located on every Primo product label distributed.

The Natural Product Number contains information about the natural health product and found to be safe, effective and of high quality under their recommended conditions of use. You can identify licensed natural health products by looking for the eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label.

Sales are to commence in June 2020. No purchase orders are yet in place.

To view the product brochure visit: https://www.primoceuticals.com/shop#!/Primo-Lemon-Hand-Sanitizer-60/p/197662415/category=0

About Primo Nutraceuticals Inc.

Primo Nutraceuticals Inc. (“Primo” or the “Company”) is dedicated to funding the rapid growth in production, processing, retail and branding of cannabis and non-cannabis related products in Canada and the United States. Primo has invested in several brands and is pursuing partnerships with retailers and distribution companies in Canada and the United States. Primo’s management is in the process of building a corporate road map to further vertically integrate the Company, specifically by way of “Primo” branded retail outlets – offering “Thrive,” “Primo,” and a selection of curated partner brands. The Company possesses proprietary formulas for cannabis edibles, topical, and tinctures. Primo is focused on building a strong presence in the hemp industry with the objective of extracting and selling cannabinoids (CBD) products in both Canada and the United States.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

PRIMO NUTRACEUTICALS INC.

“Andy Jagpal”

President and Director

For further information, please contact Zoltan, IR Representative at: 604-722-0305, or; [email protected]

To learn more about what this news means to the shareholders visit:

https://t.me/PrimoNutraceuticals

Shop: www.primoceuticals.com

www.twitter.com/prmonutra

www.thrivecbd.org

www.beautykitchen.net

www.marianna.ca

www.drinkdefy.com

Corporate: www.primonutraceuticals.com

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.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c8349cf6-4f9e-49b2-9769-53f0c3274f0d

Primo Hand Sanitizer
Primo Nutraceuticals hand sanitizers meet Health Canada’s requirements for safety, effectiveness and quality.

The Forecast For Silver In 2020-2021 SPONSOR: Affinity Metals $AAF.ca $SII.ca $TUD.ca $GTT.ca $AMK.ca $OSK.ca $RKR.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 12:25 PM on Friday, May 22nd, 2020
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Sponsor: Affinity Metals Corp. (TSX-V: AFF) is a Canadian mineral exploration company building a strong portfolio of mineral projects in North America. The Corporation’s flagship property is the drill ready Regal Property near Revelstoke, BC where Affinity Metals is making preparations for a spring drill program to test two large Z-TEM anomalies. Click Here for More Info

This has been a tumultuous year for investors, with Brexit, negative bond yields, a global trade war, an oil price crash and, of course, a worldwide pandemic that’s ushered in what’s expected to be the worst recession since the Great Depression. The question, then, is whether our money can be safely invested anywhere.

Fortunately, many experts are bullish about precious metals. Although the price of gold has risen roughly $400 per ounce in the past year, some analysts suggest that silver may be the better buy in the medium- and long-term.

As the CEO and founder of an online alternative investment brokerage, I’m constantly keeping my finger on the pulse of what precious metals experts forecast for the years ahead. In this article, I’ll take a closer look at the silver forecast for 2020 and 2021 to give investors an idea of what they can expect.

How Has Silver Fared So Far In 2020?

Let’s first assess the recent performance of silver bullion during this time of uncertainty. Although the price of silver has fallen since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, its value has held considerably well compared to the U.S. stock market. During the worst of the stock sell-off in mid-March, May silver futures dropped $0.48 to roughly $12.34 per ounce, according to kitco.com, while the S&P 500 had fallen 27% year to date on March 18.

Virtually every asset price fell in March due to the “sell what you can” mentality many investors held during this frantic period of uncertainty driven by the coronavirus and an oil price war. However, allocating a portion of your portfolio to silver bullion would have softened the blow caused by the coronavirus sell-off.

Is Silver Susceptible To Price Suppression?

It’s worth noting neither the U.S. federal government nor the Federal Reserve system can assert significant control over the price of silver. In 2019, the U.S. accounted for an estimated 3.6% of global silver production (980 metric tons), compared to Mexico and Peru, which produced 6,300 and 3,800 metric tons, respectively. Therefore, the price of silver is ultimately beholden to global market forces rather than domestic price manipulation.

Silver And Industry

Silver is a metal with many industrial applications. In 2018, silver was heavily utilized for industrial manufacturing — in particular, for use in photovoltaic solar panels, brazing alloys and solders, electronics and ethylene oxide. This figure doesn’t include silver used in the production of jewelry, which required another 200 million-plus ounces that year.

What’s particularly noteworthy about silver’s industrial usage is that it’s prominent in the production of solar panels and batteries, which bodes well for the metal’s long-term price. The worldwide market for solar energy was expected to rise in value from $52 billion in 2018 to $223 billion by 2026.

Key Factors That Could Influence The Price Of Silver In The Near Term

In an article forecasting the price of silver in 2020, Capital.com’s Valerie Medleva mentioned that silver tends to perform poorly when the U.S. dollar is strong. The article went on to note that in Q4 2018, the price of silver fell 14% when the U.S. dollar performed well.

Although the U.S. dollar is currently strong, the Fed has recently cut interest rates to effectively zero, which could weaken the dollar, so it remains to be seen how this will impact the price of silver through the year. A strong dollar generally signals a weak silver price, and though there are exceptions, such as we saw in 2018, high interest rates tend to mean higher silver prices. In other words, if the dollar weakens, we could have two competing forces pushing the price of silver up and down simultaneously.

Regarding supply, a January 2020 report by Scotiabank determined the global supply of silver is “fundamentally oversupplied” but remains attractive to investors as a gold proxy. The authors note that silver can play an important role as a currency hedge, and upside growth is expected due to modest increased industrial demand. Overall, the report is mixed about silver prices for 2020, estimating possible outcomes of $15-$23 per ounce, depending on gold performance and demand drivers. The authors estimated that $17.50-$21 per ounce is the fair, market-aligned range for silver in the year ahead.

And according to technical analysts at FX Empire, silver is trending to the upside as price pullbacks throughout April have been met with quick buys from investors looking to fill their pockets with the white metal. They note a critical resistance point at $15.50 per ounce. If silver settles above that mark, that will open the path for it stabilizing around the $16.50 level seen before the crisis.

The Takeaway: A Worthwhile Hold But Not Without Risk

The general consensus among market watchers, researchers and precious metals experts is that the long-term forecast for silver is positive. Although no asset is without downside risk, the case for silver is supported by heavy industrial use as well as its strategic importance as a currency hedge during times of uncertainty. However, the strength of the dollar will play an important role in silver’s performance.

In short, silver is an alternative investment that’s a relatively safe option in a highly volatile market. Many analysts are optimistic about silver prices in the short and medium term. Regardless of how silver performs in the months ahead, the metal remains a strategic hold for many investors looking to minimize risk, diversify their portfolio and safeguard their wealth during times of heightened volatility.

SOURCE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2020/05/21/the-forecast-for-silver-in-2020-2021/#4b2bd9e05cac

Countries Went On A Gold-Buying Spree Before Coronavirus Took Hold SPONSOR: American Creek $AMK.ca $TUD.ca $SII.ca $GTT.ca $AFF.ca $SEA.ca $SA $PVG.ca $AOT.ca $ESK.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 10:58 AM on Friday, May 22nd, 2020

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The global economy was flashing danger signs long before the pandemic. For one thing, many countries were clamouring to get hold of as much gold as possible. For the past decade, they have been buying new reserves and bringing it home from overseas storage to an extent never seen in modern times. Then just before the pandemic, there was a pause. What does all this mean?

Central banks added 650 tons to their reserves in 2019, the second highest shift in 50 years, after the 656 tons added in 2018. Before the 2007-09 financial crisis, central banks were net sellers of gold worldwide for decades. Leading the recent spree has been China, Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Central bank gold buying 1971-2019

We have also seen a large effort by central banks to repatriate their gold from other countries, mostly from storage in New York and London.

Gold has enthralled humanity since ancient times. Still it glitters from central bank vaults to jewellery bazaars the world over. The Conversation brings you five essential briefings by academic experts on the world’s favourite precious metal. For more articles written by experts, join the hundreds of thousands who subscribe to our newsletter

Venezuela started repatriating its gold in 2011, shipping 160 tonnes from New York. A third of its holdings remain in London, but only because the Bank of England won’t repatriate them – declaring it doesn’t recognise the government in Caracas. Venezuela has now made this the subject of a legal claim.

Between 2012 and 2017, Germany repatriated most of its massive reserve from Paris and New York to Frankfurt. The Netherlands did likewise in 2014, followed by Austria.

Top 20 national gold reserves

Then came Eastern Europe. In 2018, Hungary announced it would repatriate nearly 3 tons of gold from London, while greatly boosting its reserves. Poland repatriated 100 tons from London a year later, about half of its national reserve. Next was Romania, while Slovakia and Serbia have been considering moving gold home from England too.

Why it is happening?

This dash to gold is about geopolitics and economics. Gold serves as a patch mark of nationalist identity. To quote Adam Glapinski, governor of the National Bank of Poland, “gold symbolises the strength of [a] country”.

Stocking up has made sense to many countries in the populist climate. It is also a sign of countries diversifying from dollars. The likes of Russia, China and even countries in Western Europe want to break the US dominance of the financial system, having seen it used as leverage in everything from economic sanctions to trade threats.

Following the last financial crisis, many also feared there was more to come. When former Slovak prime minister Robert Fico last year urged his parliament to compel the central bank to repatriate gold from London, he argued that overseas reserves could be at risk in a new global economic crisis.

Citing the 1938 Munich pact between France, Britain, Italy and Germany that allowed the German invasion of Czechoslovakia, he said that “sometimes your international partners can betray you”.

Countries also seem unnerved by the row over Venezuela’s gold, plus the fact that Germany’s repatriated bars from the US appeared different to what it thought was in store. This suggested the Federal Reserve was trading them.

Fiat vs gold

In an era where everything is digital, fast and smart, it might sound strange that a static piece of metal could still have a major monetary role. Central banks abandoned the gold standard in the 1970s, led by US President Richard Nixon, which meant that paper currencies were no longer exchangeable for gold. This was necessary because there were too many dollars in the international system and too many countries exercising their right to exchange them for US gold reserves.

After Nixon’s decision, currencies became fiat, meaning that countries could freely decide how much to have in circulation. Currencies now had value not because they were backed by gold, but because the state standing behind them said they had value. Central banks effectively declared gold to be a relic. Fiat money was seen as superior, thanks to central bankers’ supposedly scientific oversight of monetary policy.

The new dash for gold makes economists pause and wonder what is happening. It seems to show many countries looking for a safe haven in these years in which interest rates have been very low and central banks have been printing large amounts of money to stimulate the global economy. Gold continues to have intrinsic value, so it reassures countries – especially if they fear inflation and downturns.

And yet, just as economic uncertainty was about to move to a whole new level with the pandemic, this trend lost momentum. Additions to the gold holdings of central banks and other international institutions in the three months to January 2020 – the most recent figure available – were just 67 metric tons, the least since August 2018.

In truth, this was not entirely surprising. Purchasing bullion at close to a seven-year high, and after a month of prices fluctuating plus or minus about 13%, is no particularly prudent way to consolidate economic and geopolitical power.

It will be a few months before we see how the pandemic has affected central banks’ attitude to gold. It could yet convince them that gold will still move higher. So don’t be surprised if this dash to gold has resumed in recent weeks – in a leading indicator of troubling times ahead.

SOURCE: https://www.yahoo.com/news/countries-went-gold-buying-spree-143228896.html

Else Nutrition $BABY.ca Provides Corporate Update – Product Launch In U.S. Expected In Q3 $MAT $KMB $BMY $ABT $WYE

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:41 AM on Friday, May 22nd, 2020
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  • Engagement with Covet PR ahead of planned product launch in the U.S.; Covet specializes in alternative foods promotion with clients such as Beyond Meat, Banza, Kashi, Once Upon a Farm, and many others
  • Positive social campaign testing results, reached over 320,000 potential customers in the U.S.
  • Partnership with “Mom’s Meet”, a community of approximately 100,000 U.S. moms dedicated to exploring new children products
  • Product launch in the U.S. expected in late July or early August 2020 (4-8 week delay from original pre-July launch date due to Covid 19)
  • Toddler Nutrition product sampling campaign planned to launch on June 15, 2020

VANCOUVER, BC / May 22, 2020 / ELSE NUTRITION HOLDINGS INC. (TSX-V:BABY) (OTCQB:BABYF) (“Else” or the “Company“), a developer of plant-based alternatives to dairy-based baby nutrition, is pleased to provide the following corporate update.

Marketing for Upcoming Product Launch

Else is pleased to announce that it has engaged Covet PR, a national U.S.-based public relations firm devoted to food, beverage, beauty and lifestyle brands. Covet will) support the launch of Else products into the U.S. marketplace in Q3-2020. Covet’s client roster includes impressive, disruptive and leading wellness brands, such as: Beyond Meat, Banza, Kashi, Once Upon a Farm, and many other better-for-you consumer product companies.

“As experts in the plant-based nutrition space, we are thrilled to be partnering with Else Nutrition for their U.S. launch,” says Sara Brooks, Founder, and CEO of Covet PR. “At Covet PR, we are passionate about companies that are truly innovating, making this world a healthier and happier place. Furthermore, as a mom of two young children, I am equally as excited about having a better, complete nutrition solution I can depend on, and I look forward to sharing this brand with consumers nationwide.”

During the month of April, Else executed its first paid test campaigns on social media platforms, showing highly promising results and customer engagement. The brand was exposed to over 320,000 potential U.S. customers, with more than double the industry average clickthrough rate. The clickthrough rate is a widely accepted industry standard indicator of high customer interest in the brand. Insights gleaned from this campaign will be integrated into a sampling campaign planned to launch on June 15th 2020, when customers will be able to order Else Toddler Nutrition samples.

The Company has also partnered with Mom’s Meet, a dedicated community of approximately 100,000 U.S. moms exploring new consumer products for their children. The program will raise brand awareness among this group via digital communications, and will drive sampling for Else Plant-Based Toddler Nutrition.

Product Launch Date

Management is pleased to announce that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on Company’s business was minimal, causing an approximate 2 month delay in product launch which is currently scheduled for late July or early August 2020. Else also expects to finalize its agreement with a leading U.S.-based organic baby formula manufacturer for the production of its plant-based toddler nutrition product in June of 2020.

About Else Nutrition Holdings Inc.

Else Nutrition GH ltd. is an Israel-based food and nutrition company focused on developing innovative, clean and plant-based food and nutrition products for infants, toddlers, children, and adults. Its revolutionary, 100% plant-based, non-soy, formula is a clean-ingredient alternative to dairy-based formula. Else Nutrition won the “2017 Best Health and Diet Solutions’ award at the Global Food Innovation Summit in Milan. The holding company, ELSE Nutrition Holdings Inc, is a publicly-traded company, listed as TSX-V: BABY, as part of the TSX Venture Exchange and as OTCQB: BABYF as part of the NY OTC QB Exchange. Else’s Executive and Advisory Board includes leaders hailing from Abbott Nutrition, Mead Johnson, Boston Children’s Hospital, ESPHGAN (European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition). Plum Organics, Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, and Gastroenterology & Nutrition Institute of RAMBAM Medical Center.

For more information, visit: elsenutrition.com or @elsenutrition on Facebook and Instagram.

For more information, contact:

Hamutal Yitzhak, CEO, Co-Founder & Director
ELSE Nutrition Holdings Inc.
E: [email protected]
P: +972(0)52-447-9931

Mr. Sokhie Puar, Director of Else Nutrition
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 604-603-7787

TSX Venture Exchange

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

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that, to the extent they are not recitations of historical fact, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “will”, “plan”, “hope to”, “intend” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the Company’s commercialization of its products and expected timing, expected go-to-market strategy (including marketing, proposed markets, sales, customer growth and market position), and industry conditions including any impact of Covid-19. Such forward-looking statements reflect current estimates, beliefs and assumptions, which are based on management’s perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. No assurance can be given that the foregoing will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements made in this press release assume, among others, the successful completion of Else’s proposed scale-up for its products, restrictions due to Covid-19 will not result in additional unplanned delays, and such statements are intended to apply only to the infant formula market for ages 12 months and above, and having all necessary regulatory approval as required by each target market. Numerous risks and uncertainties could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from the estimates, beliefs and assumptions expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: consumer demand for the Company’s products, whether the Company’s current and future products achieve commercialization, uncertainty regarding material changes in laws and regulations, retention of key personnel, the Company’s ability to expand into global markets and competitive developments, and the impact of Covid-19 on the planned business operations. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive, and other risks and uncertainties not presently known, or believed to be material, to management Additional information and other factors that could affect the operations or financial results of the Company are set out in the Company’s Filing Statement dated May 14, 2019 under the heading “Risk Factors” and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s expectations only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law