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BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – #Edtech Startups That Changed Learning Game In #India $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:35 AM on Monday, November 11th, 2019
SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

Edtech Startups That Changed Learning Game In India

As the country observes National Education Day, let’s have a look at major Edtech startups that contributed to the revolution of online learning in India.

Written By Kunal Gaurav

As the country observes National Education Day on November 11 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, let’s have a look at major Edtech startups that have contributed to the revolution of online learning in India.

BYJU’S – The learning app

The Bengaluru-based educational technology, founded by Byju Raveendran in 2011 as Think and Learn Private Ltd, is the world’s most valued edtech company at $5.4 billion. It mainly runs on a mobile app that was launched in 2015. Though it trains students for competitive examinations such as IIT-JEE, NEET, CAT, it focuses primarily on school students from class 1 to 12. The concepts are explained through animated videos of 12-20 minutes. Think and Learn Private Ltd, which became a business case at Harvard Business School, also launched BYJU’S Math App for kids and BYJU’S Parent Connect app to help parents track their child’s learning course. 

Unacademy

Unacademy is a Bengaluru-based company that offers online education in India for several competitive exams but mainly focused on civil services examinations (CSE). It was started as a YouTube channel in 2010 which later turned into full-fledged venture in 2015. Anyone can register at Unacademy as an educator and create educational content for the platform. Unacademy won the Digital Start-Up of the Year award at the IAMAI 12th India Digital Summit. It has raised a total of $38.6 million in various funding rounds from investors with $21 million raised in a Series C round of funding from Sequoia India, SAIF Partners, Nexus Venture Partners and others.

Guru-G learning

Founded by Amruth BR, Anand Joshi, and Shivananda Salgame in 2013, the online platform works without the internet on its android application. The app generates lesson plans, logbooks, reports and also provides interesting analysis on student learning. Guru-G is also integrated with Diksha – a national teacher platform. According to the online platform, it has an impact on more than 3,20,000 students across 1200 schools. initially rolled out content in five languages, the platform now accommodates all Indian languages in the application. The app has been gamified for teachers and adapts to the mood of the student.

Source: https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/education-day-edtech-startups-that-changed-learning-game-in-india.html

BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – How Is #Edtech Impacting The Online Education Landscape In India? $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:50 AM on Friday, November 8th, 2019
SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

How Is Edtech Impacting The Online Education Landscape In India?

  • A collaborative study conducted by Google and KPMG suggests that India will record a staggering growth of almost 500% in the number of users on online education platforms since the year 2016.
  • The market is set to grow up to 2 billion USD, with an estimated 9.6M users by the end of 2021.

With innovation and digitalization in overdrive, edtech startups have flourished because they offer accessibility and personalized experience to their users through online education.

A collaborative study conducted by Google and KPMG suggests that India will record a staggering growth of almost 500% in the number of users on online education platforms since the year 2016. The market is set to grow up to 2 billion USD, with an estimated 9.6M users by the end of 2021. We’ve come a long way from computer labs in schools and universities, which at the time were considered an ingenious way to revolutionize learning. 

Readily accessible technology has driven a league of brilliant learners and mentors to transform the way knowledge is being delivered and consumed in the country. Traditional classrooms and pen and paper assessments are being replaced by a far more superior alternative- EdTech or education technology.

Source: https://www.whatech.com/software/press-release/624893-how-is-edtech-impacting-the-online-education-landscape-in-india

ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – From Online #Gambling to #Pot, #Crypto Commerce Takes Off This Year #Bitcoin #Ether $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:44 AM on Friday, November 8th, 2019

SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital Inc. (IDK:CSE) Led by legendary financier, Sheldon Inwentash, ThreeD is a Canadian-based venture capital firm that only invests in best of breed small-cap companies which are both defensible and mass scalable. More than just lip service, Inwentash has financed many of Canada’s biggest small-cap exits. Click Here For More Information.

IDK: CSE

From Online Gambling to Pot, Crypto Commerce Takes Off This Year

  • Bitcoin still accounted for about 90% of commerce transactions
  • Nearly $6 million in transactions done daily: Chainalysis

By Olga Kharif

After being given up for dead, cryptocurrency-based commerce — albeit still tiny — has started growing again.

The amount of digital money sent to 16 merchant service providers such as BitPay rose 65% between January and July, according to data researcher Chainalysis. The price of Bitcoin, which accounted for 89% of all such transactions, had more than doubled over the seven months, to about $10,000. Typically, steep run-ups in the cryptocurrency’s price push people to spend less, and instead to hold or to speculate.

The resurgence is in contrast to last year, when Chainalysis found that Bitcoin-based commerce was in decline. This time around, the researcher looked not just at Bitcoin but also at Tether, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash, which are used to fund everything from online gambling to purchases at pot shops.

“It suggests there’s more overall trust in crypto,” Kim Grauer, senior economist at New York-based Chainalysis, said in a phone interview.

In one of the biggest efforts for mainstream use, Intercontinental Exchange Inc. plans to begin testing its consumer app for digital assets with Starbucks Inc. in the first half of 2020. Processor BitPay and others are adding support for new coins, also boosting commerce. The company, which says it processes more than $1 billion annually, anticipates continued growth as new cryptocurrencies are added to the mix including Bitcoin Cash Ether and XRP, spokesperson Jan Jahosky said in an email.

The overall amount of crypto used in commerce remains tiny: It was $5.5 million on average per day in July, up from only about $3 million in January. Starbucks alone books about $70 million in sales daily.

Inconvenience has been a major barrier. Transaction confirmation on the Bitcoin network can take an hour — making it hard for someone to just walk in a store, buy a cup of coffee and leave. Many businesses still don’t accept the coins. And many consumers are still leery to spend them anyway, due to most cryptocurrencies’ wild volatility.

Increased use of Tether — a so-called stablecoin because its price doesn’t typically fluctuate much — gave crypto commerce a boost, with the token’s use in commerce increasing five-fold between January and July, according to the researcher. In those seven months, Tether accounted for 9% of all commerce, Chainalysis said.

“There’s still a lot of growth in Bitcoin,” Grauer said. “But if you look at Tether, especially in the second half of the year, Tether took off.”

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-06/crypto-commerce-jumps-65-as-tether-s-use-takes-off-this-year

INTERVIEW: $HPQ.ca Enters Into Discussions With Li-ion Battery Manufacturer $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:10 PM on Thursday, November 7th, 2019

The headline pretty much says it all.  Though HPQ has stated the discussions are preliminary, this doesn’t hide the fact that HPQ has moved incredibly fast from deciding to use its world-changing silicon manufacturing process to enter the battery market.

It was only back on August 19th when Company CEO, Bernard Tourillon, stated HPQ would “start meeting with end users” but few would have expected NDA based discussions with a Li-ion battery manufacturer so soon.  Ironically, Tourillon says he expected something like this “sooner” … now that is confidence.

In a small cap market full of companies claiming the holy grail of supplying the battery market, it wasn’t hard to understand why investors may have dismissed the Company’s OCT 31 statement that “HPQ fully intends to use its Gen3 to produce and market silicon materials for batteries”.

With discussions under NDA now started with a battery manufacturer, HPQ has now set itself far apart from the pack and has earned the right to be taken very seriously.  Investors who have been waiting for ANY company to move from theoretical to the actual boardroom, HPQ offers a very compelling story.

Grab your favourite beverage and watch this interview with CEO Bernard Tourillon.

BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – #EdTech Startup #Adda247 Raises $6 Mn in Series B Funding led by Info Edge $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:46 PM on Thursday, November 7th, 2019
SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

EdTech Startup Adda247 Raises $6 Mn in Series B Funding led by Info Edge

  • Edu-tech startup Adda247 on Thursday said it has raised USD 6 million (about Rs 42.6 crore) in funding, led by Info Edge (India), the parent company of online recruitment portal Naukri.com, and Asha Impact, an impact investment platform.

By PTI

Edu-tech startup Adda247 on Thursday said it has raised USD 6 million (about Rs 42.6 crore) in funding, led by Info Edge (India), the parent company of online recruitment portal Naukri.com, and Asha Impact, an impact investment platform.

The series B round of funding also saw participation from STL, an existing investor of Adda247, a company statement said. With the latest round, Adda247 has raised a total of USD 10 million till date, it added.

The company plans to leverage this funding for expanding to new exam categories, adding new languages on the platform and amplifying its pan-India presence.

In a separate regulatory filing, Info Edge (India) on Thursday said it has entered into an agreement to invest about Rs 21 crore in Metis Eduventures (Adda247) as primary acquisition of shares.

The aggregate shareholding of the company, post this investment, in the said entity would be 6.97 per cent on fully convertible and diluted basis, it added.

The filing noted that Metis Eduventures’ turnover was Rs 46.7 crore as on March 31, 2019.

Last week, Info Edge had announced acquisition of securities in Metis Eduventures for an amount of about Rs 7.06 crore through secondary purchase of shares from its existing shareholders.

Founded by Anil Nagar and Saurabh Bansal in 2010, Adda247 offers products like live video classes, on-demand video courses, mock tests and books focused on government examinations. It also operates exam-specific platforms like sscadda.com, teachersadda.co.in, bankersadda.com and careerpower.in.

The company has seen 10 times growth in the last three years in terms of revenue and paid users.   Adda247 has more than 40 million users on its platform and over 3 million Daily Active Users, its co-founder and CEO Anil Nagar said adding that “more than 60 per cent of our users come from tier III cities and small towns and that is where we are seeing unprecedented growth and engagement.”

Currently, Adda247 is present in both online and offline platforms with more than 450 coaching centres, over 500 professionals and 1,000 teachers associated. It has successfully trained more than 100 million students till date, the statement said. PTI SR

Source: https://www.indianweb2.com/2019/11/07/edtech-startup-adda247-raises-6-mn-series-b-funding-led-info-edge/

New Report Says #CBD Sales Could Surpass $1B In 2019, $10B By 2024 SPONSOR: Empower Clinics $CBDT $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca $FAF.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:47 AM on Thursday, November 7th, 2019

SPONSOR:

Why Empower Clinics

  • A leading owner/operator of physician staffed health and pain management clinics
  • Patient database of over 165,000 patients 
  • Platform generating $4MM USD in revenue annually (2019)
  • Proprietary technology platforms including Electronic Health Records portal and e-Commerce for CBD product distribution
  • Launching CBD extraction facility
  • First extraction system capacity = 6,000 Kg per year.

————————-

New Report Says CBD Sales Could Surpass $1B In 2019, $10B By 2024

Javier Hasse

A new report produced by the editors of Hemp Industry Daily says retail sales of CBD in the United States are on track to surpassing $1 billion in 2019. This would imply 133% growth over 2018 sales.

Even more interestingly, the newly released 2019 Hemp & CBD Industry Factbook says CBD retail sales in the U.S. may eclipse $10 billion by 2024.

“The recent surge of consumer demand for CBD, coupled with increasingly easy access to CBD products, is expected to drive retail sales to about $1.1 billion-$1.3 billion in 2019,” said Kristen Nichols, editor of the Second Annual Hemp & CBD Industry Factbook. “We project retail CBD sales will increase to $10.3 billion by 2024, a five-year compound annual growth rate of 54%.”

Seeking to fill the gap left by the lack of federal agencies tracking hemp as a commodity, the 2019 Annual Hemp & CBD Industry Factbook seeks to provide understanding of the current and future challenges needed to make the most accurate and informed business decisions. Research-driven insights, will help business professionals understand economic, agricultural and regulatory developments impacting their positions and growth in the industry.

“Imagine running a race with brand-new shoes and a burst of energy but no idea what the course looks like. That’s somewhat the position in which today’s hempy industry finds itself,” Nichols said. “Relying on deeply researched data points along the way could make the difference between hitting the finish line and running off course.”

Source: https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/19/10/14614694/new-report-says-cbd-sales-could-surpass-1b-in-2019-10b-by-2024

$HPQ.ca Silicon Enters Into Discussions With #Li-ion #Battery Manufacturer $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:08 AM on Thursday, November 7th, 2019
  • HPQ and its partner Apollon Solar SAS have signed a non-disclosure agreement with a manufacturer of Li-ion batteries for the purposes of exchanging technical information and sending testing materials
  • For industry competitive reasons, the name of the battery manufacturer will remain confidential.

MONTREAL, Nov. 07, 2019 — HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. – TSX-V: HPQ; OTCPink: URAGF; FWB: UGE (“HPQ” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce that HPQ and its partner Apollon Solar SAS, acting as one party, have signed a non-disclosure agreement (“NDA”) with a manufacturer of Li-ion batteries for the purposes of exchanging technical information and sending testing materials. For industry competitive reasons, the name of the battery manufacturer will remain confidential.

MEETINGS WITH INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS LEAD TO NDA WITH BATTERY MANUFACTURER

In its’ press release dated August 19, 2019, HPQ announced it would be meeting with industry participants and end users in H2 2019 about our unique capacity to produce high purity Silicon (Si) in one step. The NDA is a result of the manufacturer showing an interest in evaluating porous silicon wafers made using Silicon (Si) produced by HPQ PUREVAP™ Quartz Reduction Reactor (“QRR”) and Apollon Solar patented process. Specifically, the cased use is to explore using our porous silicon wafers as the anode for their next generation Li-ion Si batteries.

“We are very happy to be in discussions with an innovative Li-ion battery manufacturer and look forward to now having more substantive technical discussions. More than four years of great technical work culminated in the assembly of a world-class technical team in 2019 to demonstrate the potential of silicon materials produced from the PUREVAP™QRR as high-capacity anode materials for Li-ion batteries” said Bernard Tourillon, President and CEO HPQ Silicon. “Silicon’s potential to meet energy storage demand is undeniable and generating massive investments, as well as, serious industry interest, so our timing could not be better. Suffice it to say, we are very pleased to have attracted such early interest. However, I must caution investors that although this agreement does signal the interest in our products, we are still at the very preliminary stages and there is no guarantee that anything, of any commercial value, will materialize from these efforts. It does however demonstrate the potential for new and exciting advances by HPQ and partners in the silicon energy space.”

GLOBAL ENERGY STORAGE MARKET READY TO EXPLODE

A recent report projects that energy storage deployments are estimated to grow 1,300% from a 12 Gigawatt-hour market in 2018 to a 158 Gigawatt-hour market in 2024. Meanwhile, at current growth rates of 2% per year, global energy consumption will be an estimated 125,000 Terawatt-hours, which is 800,000 times more than the estimated storage capacity. An estimated US$71 billion in investments will be made into storage systems where batteries will make up the lion’s share of capital deployment. Research suggests that replacing graphite materials with Silicon anodes in Li-Ion Batteries promises an almost tenfold (10x) increase in the specific capacity of the anode, inducing a 20-40% gain in the energy density of Li-ion batteries.

About Silicon

Silicon (Si) is one of today’s strategic materials needed to fulfil the renewable energy revolution presently under way. Silicon does not exist in its pure state; it must be extracted from quartz, one of the most abundant minerals of the earth’s crust and other expensive raw materials in a carbothermic process.

About HPQ Silicon

HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. is a TSX-V listed company developing, in collaboration with industry leader PyroGenesis (TSX-V: PYR) the innovative PUREVAPTM “Quartz Reduction Reactors” (QRR), a truly 2.0 Carbothermic process (patent pending), which will permit the transformation and purification of quartz (SiO2) into Metallurgical Grade Silicon (Mg-Si) at prices that will propagate its significant renewable energy potential.

HPQ is also working with industry leader Apollon Solar to develop: Porous silicon wafers manufacturing using PUREVAP™ Silicon (PVAP Si) that can be used as anode for all-solid-state and Li-ion batteries; and a metallurgical pathway of producing Solar Grade Silicon Metal (SoG Si) that will take full advantage of the PUREVAPTM QRR one-step production of high purity silicon (Si) and significantly reduce the Capex and Opex associated with the transformation of quartz (SiO2) into SoG-Si.

HPQ focus is becoming the lowest cost producer of Silicon (Si), High Purity Silicon (Si), Porous Silicon Wafers and Solar Grade Silicon Metal (SoG-Si). The pilot plant equipment that will validate the commercial potential of the process is on schedule to start in 2019.

This News Release is available on the company’s CEO Verified Discussion Forum, a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders. 

Disclaimers:

The Corporation’s interest in developing the PUREVAP™ QRR and any projected capital or operating cost savings associated with its development should not be construed as being related to the establishing the economic viability or technical feasibility of the Company’s Roncevaux Quartz Project, Matapedia Area, in the Gaspe Region, Province of Quebec.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words “may”, “plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “in the process” and other similar expressions which constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company’s on-going filings with the security’s regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange 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.

For further information contact
Bernard J. Tourillon, Chairman, President and CEO Tel (514) 907-1011
Patrick Levasseur, Vice-President and COO Tel: (514) 262-9239
http://www.hpqsilicon.com Email: [email protected]

Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca Announces Record Preliminary Unaudited Q3 2019 Revenue with 138% year over year increase and Details for Release of Financial Statements $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca $FAF.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:25 AM on Thursday, November 7th, 2019
  • Empowers’ Q3 2019 preliminary unaudited revenue saw a year over year growth of approximately 138%
  • Company’s Q3 preliminary total direct clinic expenses have been reduced by approximately 40% even with the addition of the six Sun Valley clinic locations.
  • Company also has patient visits in corporate clinics increase by triple digits, with October 2019 patients seen increasing by 336% to 1,847 versus October 2018 with 550 patients seen.       
  • Earnings results are set to be released on November 14, 2019 at 9:00 am Eastern Time

VANCOUVER, Nov. 7, 2019 – EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE: CBDT) (OTC: EPWCF) (Frankfurt 8EC) (“Empower” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented CBD life sciences company, a multi-state operator of medical health & wellness clinics, a CBD product producer and operator of an extraction facility in Oregon, is pleased to announce preliminary unaudited year over year revenue growth of 138% for the three months ended September 30, 2019. The company also decreased total direct clinic expenses by approximately 40%, while adding six new clinics as a result of the Sun Valley clinics acquisition.

The Company also has patient visits in corporate clinics increase by triple digits, with October 2019 patients seen increasing by 336% to 1,847 versus October 2018 with 550 patients seen.       

“The Company is starting to feel the positive impact that the Sun Valley clinics acquisition has provided with their strong operational performance in Arizona, in conjunction with continued cost cutting measures with operations in Oregon and Washington State,” said Steven McAuley, CEO of Empower. “We have also been able to integrate key back office, admin, payroll & human resource functions from the Pacific Northwest into the operational controls of Sun Valley, bringing improved productivity to the organization.”

As part of the Company’s continued expansion of our health & wellness clinic model, we have already set up retail CBD product sales in-clinic, and now we have launched expanded physician based services starting with key Arizona clinics.

New Modalities and Services

  • Physician’s CBD Enhanced Massage, Acupuncture, or Cupping Sessions

  • CBD-Cannabis-Supplement Consumption & Coaching Consultation

  • Introduction to Alternative Health and Cannabinoid Therapies by a Physician

  • Comprehensive Naturopathic Patient Analysis & Consultation

  • Dietary Antigen Testing, Physician Consultation/Action Plan, & Concierge Blood Draw

  • Neurotransmitter (urine) Profile & Physician Consultation/Action Plan

  • Spectracell Micronutrient Test & Physician Consultation/Action Plan

Empower plans to release its third quarter results ending September 30th, 2019 on November 14, 2019 at 9:00AM Eastern time.

Financial Measures

This news release makes reference to certain non-IFRS measures, including certain industry metrics. These metrics and measures are not recognized measures under IFRS do not have meanings prescribed under IFRS and are as a result unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. These measures are provided as information complimentary to those IFRS measures by providing a further understanding of our operating results from the perspective of management. As such, these measures should not be considered in isolation or in lieu of review of our financial information reported under IFRS. These non-IFRS measures, including the industry measures, are used to provide investors with supplementary measures of our operating performance that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS metrics.

ABOUT EMPOWER

Empower is a vertically-integrated health & wellness brand with it’s first hemp-derived CBD extraction facility under development, the Company produces its proprietary line of cannabidiol (CBD) based products and distributes products through company owned and franchised clinics, with wholesale partnerships, online channels and with new retail opportunities nationwide in the U.S. 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 commenced activity on how to connect its significant data, to the potential of the efficacy of alternative treatment options related to hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) therapies.

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 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/November2019/07/c9142.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

North Bud Farms $NBUD.ca Announces Annual General and Special Meeting on December 16th and the Closing of the First Tranche of its Non-Brokered Private Placement of Secured Convertible Debenture Units $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:50 PM on Wednesday, November 6th, 2019
  • Annual General and Special Meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, December 16, 2019 at the office of McMillan LLP World Exchange Plaza, Suite 2000, Ottawa, Ontario.  
  • Announce that on November 6, 2019, the board authorized the issuance of up to 4,000 convertible debenture units of the Company at a price of $1,000 per Unit for total gross proceeds of up to $4,000,000.

TORONTO, Nov. 06, 2019 — North Bud Farms Inc. (CSE: NBUD) (OTCQB: NOBDF) (“NORTHBUD” or the “Company”) today announces that the Company will hold its Annual General and Special Meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, December 16, 2019 at the office of McMillan LLP World Exchange Plaza, Suite 2000, Ottawa, Ontario.  

Additionally, the Company is pleased to announce that on November 6, 2019, the board authorized the issuance of up to 4,000 convertible debenture units (“Units”) of the Company at a price of $1,000 per Unit for total gross proceeds of up to $4,000,000. Based on this decision the Company will not be closing any additional tranches of the previously announced equity private placement.

Each Unit is comprised of one $1,000 principal amount of secured convertible debenture (a “Convertible Debenture”) accruing interest at 10.0% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears until maturity, and 2,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company (each, a “Warrant”). The Convertible Debentures will have a maturity date of 36 months from the date of issuance.

Each Convertible Debenture shall be convertible into common shares in the capital of the Company (each, a “Conversion Share”) at a price of $0.30 per Conversion Share.

Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a “Warrant Share”) for an exercise price of $0.25 per Warrant Share for a period of 18 months following the closing date.

The Convertible Debentures are direct secured obligations of the Company and rank pari passu in right of payment of principal and interest with all other Convertible Debentures issued under the Offering.

The Company is pleased to announce that on November 6, 2019 it closed an initial tranche of 1,264 Units for gross proceeds of $1,264,000. These Units were purchased by one insider and existing shareholders. The Company intends to close the remaining Units in one or more tranches over the coming weeks.

Ryan Brown, the Chief Executive Officer, of the Company participated in the private placement and beneficially acquired 664 Units for a total proceeds of $664,000. The purchase constitutes a “related party transaction” within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”). The issuance is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the Units issued to or the consideration paid by such insider did not exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.

Certain finders (the “Finders”) received a cash commission on the sale of the Offering of $48,000. The Finders also received 48,000 compensation warrants (the “Compensation Warrants”), each carrying the right to purchase 3.3333 common shares in the capital of the Company at a price of $1.00 per Compensation Warrant for a period of 18 months from the closing date.

The proceeds of the Offering will be used by the Company for expansion of the Company’s facilities and for general corporate and working capital purposes.

The Convertible Debentures, Warrants and Compensation Warrants issued pursuant to the Offering and any common shares in the capital of the Company issued on conversion of the Convertible Debentures or exercise of the Warrants or Compensation Warrants are subject to a statutory hold period in Canada of four months and one day following the closing date in accordance with applicable securities laws, which shall expire on March 7, 2020. Additional resale restrictions may be applicable under the laws of other jurisdictions, if any.

The securities of the Company have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws. Accordingly, the securities of the Company may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities of the
Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Corporate Update
Since the submission of our evidence package to Health Canada, the Company has received some minor comments from the regulators all of which have been responded to within 24 hours. The Company will update shareholders with any material developments related to the application process.

About North Bud Farms Inc.
North Bud Farms Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary GrowPros MMP Inc., is pursuing a licence under The Cannabis Act.  The Company has built a state-of-the-art purpose-built cannabis production facility located on 135 acres of Agricultural Land in Low, Quebec, Canada. NORTHBUD through its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, Bonfire Brands USA has entered into agreements to acquire assets in California and Nevada.

For more information visit: www.northbud.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”) nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements
Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, “forward-looking statements”), including those identified by the expressions “anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “should” and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect current expectations regarding future results or events. This press release contains forward- looking statements that include, but are not limited to, statements related to the intended use of proceeds from the Offering. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and various estimates, factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk factors included in North Bud Farms Inc.’s final long form prospectus dated August 21, 2018, which is available under the issuer’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
North Bud Farms Inc.
Edward Miller
VP, IR & Communications
Office: (855) 628-3420 ext. 3
[email protected] 

BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – How #edtech players are contributing to the #Indian #economy $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:18 PM on Wednesday, November 6th, 2019
SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

How Edtech players are contributing to the Indian economy

  • In this fast-paced transformation era, education and skilling are crucial to the progress of the country
  • It is a key benefactor not just to economic growth but also to greater economic equality. Governments and academic institutes, as well as entrepreneurs, are jointly transforming the definition of learning.

This collaborative approach and deep knowledge have led to the rise of vibrant and dynamic edtech industry. (Representational Image)

In this fast-paced transformation era, education and skilling are crucial to the progress of the country. It is a key benefactor not just to economic growth but also to greater economic equality.

Education indeed transforms lives but the fundamental question today is, what is transforming education? It is the digital disruption, and the inception of edtech players in the market are significant holders of the transforming norms of education around the corner. Governments and academic institutes, as well as entrepreneurs, are jointly transforming the definition of learning. This collaborative approach and deep knowledge have led to the rise of vibrant and dynamic edtech industry.

Startups in edtech sector

The edtech industry has emerged over the past few years, propelled by startups looking to address the issue of both reach and quality of education by leveraging modern-day technology. These startups have also started contributing to the economic prosperity of India by accelerating the process of job creation, an increase in GDP and wealth creation.One such promising paradigm of the startup ecosystem is the EdTech or Education Technology. Startups in edtech sector have rolled out offerings such as personalized assessments, VR content, parent engagement, gamification, soft skills development, digital libraries, student networking, test preparation, procurement marketplaces, learning analytics, language tools, internship location, and real-time scenario engagement.

Didactics of edtech

Mr. Piyush Nangru, COO and Co-founder, Sunstone Eduversity, says, “With the help of technology, edtechs are bridging the skill gaps, therefore generating employment for the youth. Tech-enabled pedagogy helps quantify the learning outcomes, measure student performance and determine appropriate remedial actions.” 

Edtech industry in India

India is no doubt set to be one of the leading players in the global ed-tech space with innovation taking center-stage. The ed-tech industry is expected to touch about USD 2 billion in India by 2021, industry trackers said. The country today has more than 4000 Ed-tech startups who are fuelling the education system; thus in return, accelerating the economy. According to the report released by Google and KPMG, the online education industry will grow at a healthy rate of 8x, to become a 1.96 billion dollar industry by 2021. Also, it says that the paid user base will grow 6X from 1.6 million users in 2016 to 9.6 million users in 2021.

Contribution of Govt 

The Government of India is also driving major initiatives in terms of leveraging technology for education. The spirit of innovation along with an emphasis on skill-based development, has been the primary objective of the government led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi. SWAYAM is an initiative by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to provide courses from Standard IX to post-graduation via its IT platform, free of cost to all residents of India. E-Basta is a platform that allows publishers of schoolbooks to upload digital formats of their books online for easy access by students. Diksha, an initiative by the National Council for Teacher’s Education, provides interactive learning resources to teachers, students as well as parents.

Edtech players driving the force of economy

Arman Ahmed, Co-Founder & CEO, EdYoda, explained how edtech players are helping students to outshine their way out. He said, “Today the Indian economy is suffering because there is a shortage of skilled manpower. The education sector in India is not just inefficient- it is nearly broken. Only a few leading universities and colleges provide quality education- a prerequisite for professional success. Also, having many well-educated professionals is essential to drive innovation, which in turn is essential for a robust economy.” He further said that the vast majority of Indian graduates don’t have skills that allow either. Rather than learning in a traditional university or college, most of which don’t educate well, students will do better when they enroll in courses offered by ed-tech players. After graduation, they will be more likely to achieve professional success and contribute to the economy because they will be productive and, unlike traditional graduates, more successful entrepreneurs.

Source: http://www.asianage.com/business/in-other-news/061119/how-ed-tech-players-are-contributing-to-the-indian-economy.html