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New Age Metals $NAM.ca Positive Preliminary Economic Assessment for the River Valley #PGM Project in Sudbury $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:31 AM on Thursday, June 27th, 2019

Life of mine (LOM) of 14 years, with 6 million tonnes annually of potential process plant feed at an average grade of 0.88 g/t Palladium Equivalent (PdEq) and process recovery rate of 80%, resulting in an annual average payable Pd production of 119,000 ounces
Pre-Production capital requirements: $495 M
Undiscounted cash flow before income and mining taxes of $586M
Undiscounted cash flow after income and mining taxes of $384M

June 27^th, 2019 – Rockport, Canada – New Age Metals Inc. (NAM) (TSX.V: NAM; OTCQB: NMTLF; FSE: P7J.F) Harry Barr, Chairman & CEO, stated; “We are pleased to update our shareholders and interested parties as to the results of the initial Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the company’s 100% owned River Valley PGM Project in Sudbury, Ontario Canada. The PEA has been developed by various independent consultants – P&E Mining Consultants Inc. (P&E) was responsible for the open pit mining, surface infrastructure, tailings facility, and project economics; DRA Americas Inc. (“DRA”) was responsible for all metallurgical test work and processing aspects of the Project; and WSP Canada Inc. (“WSP”) was responsible for the Mineral Resource Estimate. The PEA demonstrates positive economics for a large-scale mining open pit operation, with 14 years of Palladium and Platinum production.”

Go-Forward Plan: In order to enhance the Project, the PEA has outlined a phased work approach to completing a Pre-Feasibility study. This includes advanced metallurgical testing to improve / confirm process recoveries and more accurately estimate concentrate grades, geotechnical logging of drill core, with new geotechnical holes to create a 3D geomechanical block model and estimate pit wall angles, hydrogeological studies that will estimate water inflows to the open pits and generate a site water and management plan. The Pre-Feasibility study will update the Project study to a higher level of precision.

NAM plans to continue to improve the River Valley Project’s value proposition by drill testing geophysical anomalies found during the 2018 geophysics campaign, continuing the geophysical program throughout the 16 kilometres of the contact mineralization adding significant potential to find new deposits, drilling near the defined open pit shells to increase the mine life, drilling deeper to test the open-ended Deposit at depth, and re-assaying existing drill core for Rhodium in order that Rhodium may be added to the Project’s metal suite.

Technical Report: For readers to fully understand the information in this news release, they should read the PEA Technical Report in its entirety which the Company expects to file in accordance with NI 43-101 within 45 days from the date of this news release on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and it will also be available at that time on the New Age Metals website, including all qualifications, assumptions and exclusions that relate to the PEA. The Technical Report is intended to be read in its entirety, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context.

PEA Highlights (CDN$ unless otherwise noted):

– Life of mine (LOM) of 14 years, with 6 million tonnes annually of potential process plant feed at an average grade of 0.88 g/t Palladium Equivalent (PdEq) and process recovery rate of 80%, resulting in an annual average payable Pd production of 119,000 ounces
– Pre-Production capital requirements: $495 M
– Undiscounted cash flow before income and mining taxes of $586M
– Undiscounted cash flow after income and mining taxes of $384M
– Average unit operating cost of $19.50/tonne over the life-of-mine
– LOM average operating cash cost of $971 per ounce (US$709/oz) and all-in sustaining cash cost of $972 per ounce (US$709/oz) at a 1.37 CDN: USD exchange rate.
– A mining contractor will be engaged for the open pit mining
– Pre-tax NPV (5%): $262M, After-tax NPV (5%): $139 M
– Pre-tax IRR: 13%, After-tax IRR: 10%
– Assumed metal prices of US$1,200/oz Pd, US$1,050/oz Pt, US$1,350/oz Au, US$3.25/lb Cu, US$8.00/lb Ni, US$35/lb Co
– Using a + 20% Pd price sensitivity (to the base case of US$1,200/oz Pd) US$1,440 /oz Pd returns a pre-tax IRR of 19% and an after tax-IRR of 15%. Palladium price as of June 25, 2019 is US$1,510/oz Pd, which would return a pre-tax IRR of 21% and an after-tax IRR of 16%.
– River Valley process plant feed will be treated by a conventional sulphide flotation process plant to produce a single saleable PGM concentrate that will be transported to the Sudbury area for smelting/refining
– Potential for up to 325 jobs at the peak of production

PEA Summary

The PEA parameters are summarized in Table 1.

(*) Cautionary statement NI 43-101: The PEA was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). Readers are cautioned that the PEA is preliminary in nature. It includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. All currency is stated as CDN$ unless stated otherwise.

Table 1: PEA Summary Parameters

Assumptions
Palladium Price (Base case) US$/oz	1,200
Exchange Rate US$:CDN$	1.37
Production Profile
Total Tonnes Processed	78,100,000
Process Plant Head Grade PdEq g/t	0.88
Mine Life (years)	14
Daily process plant throughput (tpd)	16,440
Palladium Process Plant Recovery	80%
Total Payable Palladium Equivalent Ounces	1,600,000
Average annual Palladium Production Ounces	119,000
Operating Costs
Unit Operating Costs (per tonne processed)	19.50
Mining Costs	10.20
Processing Costs	8.44
G&A	0.90
LOM Average Cash Cost US$/oz	709
Capital Requirements
Pre-Production Capital Cost	$495.1 M
Sustaining Capital Cost (Life of Mine) Including Salvage	$1.0 M
Project Economics
Royalties	3% (Buy down to 1.5% with $1,500,000 payment)
Royalty Payable After $1.5M Payment	$39.7 M
Taxes	$202.3 M
Pre-Tax
NPV (5% Discount Rate)	$262 M
IRR	13%
Payback (years)	6.6
Cumulative Undiscounted Cash Flows	$586 M
After-Tax
NPV (5% Discount Rate)	$139 M
IRR	10%
Payback (years)	7.0
Cumulative Undiscounted Cash Flows	$384 M

Operating Cost

Table 2: Operating Cost Summary.

OPERATING COST		LOM ($/t)
Mining Cost	$/t material	2.28
Mining Cost	$/t feed	10.20
Processing Cost	$/t feed	8.44
G&A	$/t feed	0.90
Unit Operating	$/t feed	19.50

Capital Cost

Table 3: Capital Cost Summary

Development Capital	Initial (Y-2, Y-1) ($ M)	Sustaining ($’ M)	Total LOM ($’ M)
Mine Pre-Stripping	17.3		17.3
Process Plant Incl. Indirects	401.3		401.3
TMF	8.0		8.0
Mine Site Infrastructure	10.0		10.0
Office, Warehouse, Shops	10.0		10.0
Owner Cost	5.0		5.0
10% Contingency	43.4		43.4
Initial Project Capital	495.1		495.1
Sustaining Capital
Closure Bond		26.0	26.0
Salvage Value		-25.0	-25.0
Total Sustaining Capital		1.0	1.0
Total Capital	495.1	1.0	496.1

Project Economics and Sensitivities

The economic results of the PEA are summarized in Table 4 on an after-tax basis. The sensitivities and the impact of cash flows have been calculated for +/- 20% variations against the base case.

Table 4: Project Economics Sensitivity.

Project Sensitivity Analysis
Pd Price Sensitivity
%	-20%	-15%	-10%	-5%	Base Case	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	Spot
US$/oz	960	1,020	1,080	1,140	1,200	1,260	1,320	1,380	1,440	1,510
NPV (CDN$ M)	-23	16	59	98	139	179	220	260	300	347
IRR (%)	4	6	7	8	10	11	12	13	15	16
OPEX Sensitivity
%	-20%	-15%	-10%	-5%	Base Case	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%
Cost Per Tonne	16	17	18	18	19	20	21	22	23
NPV (CDN$ M)	212	194	175	157	139	120	102	83	68
IRR (%)	14	12	11	10	10	9	8	7	7
CAPEX Sensitivity
%	-20%	-15%	-10%	-5%	Base Case	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%
CAPEX (CDN$ M)	397	422	446	471	496	521	546	570	595
NPV (CDN$ M)	284	248	212	175	139	102	64	28	-6
IRR (%)	14	13	12	11	10	8	7	6	5

River Valley Project Site Plan

See the image below that shows a site plan from the River Valley PEA. The map shows all of the 14 open pits that have been used in the engineering design of the Project as well as the proposed process plant site, low-grade stockpile, waste rock storage facilities, tailings storage facility and site infrastructure.

Click Image To View Full Size

Mineral Resource

The pit constrained Mineral Resource Estimate which formed the basis of the PEA, is set out in Table 5 and was prepared by WSP under the supervision of Todd McCracken, P. Geo., an “Independent Qualified Person”, as defined in NI 43-101. The effective date of this Mineral Resource Estimate is January 9, 2019. The Mineral Resource database contains 710 boreholes with 106,554 assays records in the database, and 2,642 surface channel samplings. The Mineral Resource Estimate update was completed on the Dana North, Dana South, Pine, Banshee, Lismer, Lismer Extension, Varley, Azen, Razor, and River Valley Extension Zones, using the ordinary kriging (OK) methodology on a capped and composited borehole dataset consistent with industry standards. Validation of the results was conducted thought the use of visual inspection, swath plots and global statistical comparison of the model against inverse distance squared (ID²) and nearest neighbour (NN) models.

Table 5: Pit Constrained Mineral Resource Estimate for River Valley PGM Project – Effective January 9, 2019.

Click Image To View Full Size

Class	PGM + Au (oz)	PdEq (oz)	PtEq (oz)
Measured	1,394,000	1,701,000	1,701,000
Indicated	983,000	1,166,000	1,166,000
Meas +Ind	2,377,000	2,867,000	2,867,000
Inferred	841,000	1,059,000	1,059,000

Notes:

1.CIM definition standards were followed for the Mineral Resource Estimate.
2.The 2018 Mineral Resource models used Ordinary Kriging grade estimation within a three-dimensional block model with mineralized zones defined by wireframed solids.
3.A base cut-off grade of 0.35 g/t PdEq was used for reporting Mineral Resources in a constrained pit and 2.00 g/t PdEq was used for reporting the Mineral Resources under the pit.
4.Palladium Equivalent (PdEq) calculated using (US$): $950/oz Pd, $950/oz Pt, $1,275/oz Au, $1,500/oz Rh, $2.75/lb Cu, $5.25/lb Ni, $36/lb Co.
5.Numbers may not add exactly due to rounding.
6.Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have economic viability

7. The Inferred Mineral Resource in this estimate has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resource could be upgraded to an Indicated Mineral Resource with continued exploration.

Mining and Processing

The PEA is preliminary in nature, and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the Preliminary Economic Assessment will be realized.

The River Valley Project is expected to be mined by a contractor. Initial mining will occur at the northwest end of the Deposit, close to the proposed process plant site. A series of 14 open pits will be mined, and will progress in a southeasterly direction. Pit numbers 1 to 4 contain the bulk of the mineralized process plant feed.

Annual process plant feed of up to 6 Mtpy (0.5 Mtpm) is planned, at an average strip ratio of 3.6:1 over the life-of-mine. It is anticipated that a fleet of 221 t haul trucks, 29 m³ excavators and 254 mm diameter hole rotary drills will be utilized, following industry standard conventional open pit mining techniques.

The process plant is designed to produce a single saleable PGM concentrate using conventional sulphide flotation techniques. The concentrate will be trucked to a smelter/refinery in the Sudbury area.

The Run-Of-Mine (ROM) feed from the mine will be crushed in a single primary jaw crushing stage prior to the grinding circuit. The crusher discharge will be conveyed to a live stockpile, which will provide an operating buffer between the crushing and grinding circuits.

The grinding circuit will consist of a SAG mill in closed circuit with a pebble crusher and two ball mills in parallel.

The process plant design considers three stages of cleaner flotation and is designed to process 21,920 tpd (6.0 Mtpy) of ROM feed.

The flotation circuit configuration and design are based on the locked cycle tests conducted by SGS Canada in 2013.

Concentrate and tailings products will be dewatered using high-rate thickeners and the concentrate will be further dewatered by conventional plate and frame vacuum filtration.

Process water will be recovered from the concentrate and tailings thickener overflow. Raw water is assumed to be sourced from the local environment and will be used as makeup water. It is assumed that 10% of the raw water requirement will be recycled from the tailings pond.

Conventional tailings deposition techniques will be utilized.

A 230 kV transmission line is located passing through the village of Warren, approximately 22 km from the Project. A 115 kV transmission line passes through the village of Field, located approximately 15 km to the east of the Project. It is assumed that electrical power will be provided by the local utility via either of these overland power lines. Diesel generators will be used to supply emergency power.

Project Enhancement Opportunities

The PEA demonstrates that River Valley has the potential to be economically viable. The PEA also outlines several opportunities to enhance Project value. Additional opportunities include:

Area of Focus	Opportunities to Explore	Management Target
Geotechnical study	– Geotechnical logging of drill core, with new geotechnical holes to create a 3D geomechanical block model and estimate pit wall slope angles	– Estimate pit wall slopes
Hydrogeological study	– Estimate water in-flows to the open pits and generate a site water management plan	– Site water management plan
Increase the Project Mineral Resource base	– Additional drilling in the footwall to expand the Mineral Resource. After the ground proofing and surface exploration program conducted in Summer 2018 which followed up on the most recent induced polarization geophysical survey by Abitibi, NAM management has designed a 3-phase 5,000 metre drill program to test the new geophysical anomalies. See the map figure below which shows these new geophysical anomalies and potential targets for the next stage of drilling at River Valley superimposed over the upper 4 kilometres of the project map. Click Image To View Full Size – Drilling near the defined open pit shells to increase the mine life. – Drilling deeper to test the open-ended deposit at depth. Average drill hole depth is 220 metres below surface.	– Increase tonnes, grade and mine life of Project – Continue to drill recent footwall discoveries – Add additional Mineral Resources to the Project.
Mineral Resource	– In-fill drilling to convert Inferred Mineral Resources to Indicated Mineral Resources	– Improve Mineral Resource classification
Mineral Resource	– Step-out drilling to increase the Mineral Resource Estimate	– Increase the size of the Mineral Resource Estimate
Metallurgical testing	– Advanced metallurgical testing to confirm or potentially improve process recoveries and more accurately estimate concentrate grades produced	– Achieve a process recovery equal or greater than 80%.
Geophysical surveys	– Continue with induced polarization geophysical surveys over the 12.5 kilometres of the contact / footwall that has not been surveyed in the 2017 and 2018 programs conducted on the Project. This work can be carried out in phases as funding is available or until the contact / footwall is covered, see the map figure below that shows a proposed scenario for how to phase the work. Click Image To View Full Size	– Outline new targets highlighting new potential footwall discoveries over the entire Project
Advanced sampling for Rhodium	– Re-assaying existing core for Rhodium. Rhodium has been identified, however, insufficient assaying in the past has not allowed for Rhodium’s inclusion in the Mineral Resource Estimate.	– Quantify the amount of Rhodium in the Project and add this to the existing Mineral Resource Estimate
Pre-Feasibility study	– Updated Mineral Resource Estimate, optimize the mine plan, process plant design, and Project economics. Address environmental aspects.	– Update the Project study to a higher level of precision

Qualified Persons and NI 43-101 Disclosure

The PEA was prepared under the supervision of Eugene Puritch, P.Eng. of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. The Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Todd McCracken, P.Geo. of WSP Canada Inc. Metallurgical testwork and process plant design and cost estimates were prepared by Jim Kambossos, P. Eng. of DRA Americas Inc. All three are independent Qualified Persons in accordance with NI 43-101. Mr. Puritch has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release. Michael Neumann, P.Eng. Managing Director for NAM is the company Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

“Harry Barr”

Harry G. Barr, Chairman and CEO

For further information on New Age Metals, please contact Harry Barr and/or Anthony Ghitter, Business Development at 613-659-2773, or [email protected]

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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results and are based on current expectations or beliefs. For this purpose, statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements include statements in which the Company uses words such as “continue”, “efforts”, “expect”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “confident”, “intend”, “strategy”, “plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “project”, “goal”, “target”, “prospects”, “optimistic” or similar expressions. These statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors, including, among others, the Company’s ability and continuation of efforts to timely and completely make available adequate current public information, additional or different regulatory and legal requirements and restrictions that may be imposed, and other factors as may be discussed in the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), including the most recent reports that identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review or confirm analysts’ expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Tags: clean energy, CSE, palladium, PGM, PGM Demand, stocks, tsx, tsx-v
Posted in Featured, New Age Metals | Comments Off on New Age Metals $NAM.ca Positive Preliminary Economic Assessment for the River Valley #PGM Project in Sudbury $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca

Marijuana Company of Americaâ€™s $MCOA #hempSMART™ Brand Continues European Expansion with Netherlands Launch $AERO $CBDS $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX $ACG $ACB $WEED.ca $HIP.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:30 AM on Thursday, June 27th, 2019

Continued the expansion of its wholly owned subsidiary, hempSMART, Ltd., into Europe, with its latest launch in the Netherlands.
As a result of the positive feedback received during its United Kingdom launch in March, the Company made a strategic decision to offer its hempSMART™ CBD product line and expand its European footprint further by holding an event on June 15, 2019, in the Netherlands.

ESCONDIDO, Calif., June 27, 2019 — via NetworkWire â€“ MARIJUANA COMPANY OF AMERICA, INC. (â€œMCOAâ€ or the â€œCompanyâ€) (OTCQB: MCOA), an innovative hemp and cannabis corporation, has continued the expansion of its wholly owned subsidiary, hempSMART, Ltd., into Europe, with its latest launch in the Netherlands.

As a result of the positive feedback received during its United Kingdom launch in March, the Company made a strategic decision to offer its hempSMART™ CBD product line and expand its European footprint further by holding an event on June 15, 2019, in the Netherlands.

â€œThe Netherlands launch was a complete success, with people traveling from other parts of Europe to witness the excitement around our hempSMART™ CBD product line,â€ said Mr. Ian Harvey, Global Sales Director of hempSMART, Ltd. â€œThe event featured our CEO, Don Steinberg, unveiling our wellness products via video link and educating people about the benefits of our prime quality botanical ingredients. Our products sold out at the end of the event, and we engaged new marketing associates for hempSMART™ as evangelists to the brand that will help spread our vision.â€

â€œOur high-quality CBD products combined with our compilation of highly knowledgeable hempSMART™ team members have effectively increased the Companyâ€™s footprint into the compelling European market,â€ said Mr. Steinberg.

The Brightfield Group, a predictive market intelligence firm focused on the legal CBD and cannabis industries, opined on March 26, 2019, that the European CBD market was estimated at $318 million in 2018 and is expected to grow over 400 percent by 2023. Brightfieldâ€™s assessment was based on its opinion that CBD is just starting to take hold in Europe, and presents a great opportunity for developed brands to enter and expand into.

About Marijuana Company of America, Inc.
MCOA is a corporation that participates in (1) product research and development of legal hemp-based consumer products under the brand name hempSMART™, which targets general health and well-being; (2) an affiliate marketing program to promote and sell its legal hemp-based consumer products containing CBD; (3) leasing of real property to separate business entities engaged in the growth and sale of cannabis in those states and jurisdictions where cannabis has been legalized and properly regulated for medicinal and recreational use; and (4) the expansion of its business into ancillary areas of the legalized cannabis and hemp industry as the legalized markets and opportunities in this segment mature and develop.

About Our hempSMART™ Products Containing CBD
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized CBD as a safe and effective drug for any indication. Our products containing CBD derived from industrial hemp are not marketed or sold based upon claims that their use is safe and effective treatment for any medical condition as drugs or dietary supplements subject to the FDAâ€™s jurisdiction.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains â€œforward-looking statementsâ€ that are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities, and words such as â€œanticipate,â€ â€œseek,â€ intend,â€ â€œbelieve,â€ â€œestimate,â€ â€œexpect,â€ â€œproject,â€ â€œplanâ€ or similar phrases may be deemed â€œforward-looking statementsâ€ within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition and the Companyâ€™s reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov.

Contact:
[email protected]
888-777-4362

Corporate Communications Contact:
NetworkNewsWire (NNW)
New York, New York
www.NetworkNewsWire.com
212.418.1217 Office
[email protected]

For more information, please visit the Companyâ€™s websites at:
MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com
hempSMART.com

Tags: Cannabis, CBD, CSE, Hemp, Marijuana, stocks, tsx, tsx-v, weed
Posted in Marijuana Company of America | Comments Off on Marijuana Company of Americaâ€™s $MCOA #hempSMART™ Brand Continues European Expansion with Netherlands Launch $AERO $CBDS $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX $ACG $ACB $WEED.ca $HIP.ca

INTERVIEW: Advance Gold $AAX.ca 3D Model Shows Large Cluster Of Mineralized Veins

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:02 PM on Wednesday, June 26th, 2019

Tags: #mining, gold, gold demand, stocks, tsx, tsx-v
Posted in Advance Gold, AGORACOM Via Satellite, All Recent Posts | Comments Off on INTERVIEW: Advance Gold $AAX.ca 3D Model Shows Large Cluster Of Mineralized Veins

BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca â€“ #Edtech firm #Unacademy raises $50 mn in Series D from Steadview, others $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:21 AM on Wednesday, June 26th, 2019

SPONSOR: Betteru Education Corp. Connecting global leading educators to the mass population of India. BetterU Education has ability to reach 100 MILLION potential learners each week. Click here for more information.

Edtech firm Unacademy raises $50 mn in Series D from Steadview, others

The online education firm said it is seeing unprecedented growth and engagement from learners in smaller towns and cities

Raised $50 million Series D funding round from Steadview Capital, Sequoia India, Nexus Venture Partners and Blume Ventures.

Peerzada AbrarÂ

Unacademy, an online learning platform, has raised $50 million Series D funding round from Steadview Capital, Sequoia India, Nexus Venture Partners and Blume Ventures. Aakrit Vaish, co-founder of tech firm Haptik and Sujeet Kumar, co-founder of business-to-business online marketplace Udaan also participated in the round, along with Unacademy founders, Gaurav Munjal and Roman Saini.

â€œBy leveraging technology and high-quality educators, we aim to move closer to our mission of democratising education at all levels, starting with test prep,â€ said Gaurav Munjal, co-founder and chief executive of Unacademy. â€œWe are seeing unprecedented growth and engagement from learners in smaller towns and cities, and are also very humbled to see that top-quality educators are choosing Unacademy as their primary platform to reach out to students.â€

The company now has more than 400 top educators from across the country taking live classes every day on Unacademy Plus. This is available to every student, irrespective of their location said the company.

Unacademy recently launched its Plus Subscription, and since its launch, more than 50,000 learners have subscribed to Unacademy Plus. The firm said this service is available for more than 20 exam categories and provides students unlimited access to live courses by top educators across the country. Learners get a personalised live learning experience that is augmented by doubt-clearing sessions with the educators, interactive classes and live test series. More than 600 live classes are conducted every day by the educators on Plus who teach from all across the country.

â€œUnacademy is a very meaningful ed-tech company in the making and Sequoia India is excited to invest signiï¬cantly in this round,” said Shailendra Singh, managing director, Sequoia Capital (India) Singapore. â€œWe were thrilled with how rapidly Gaurav (Munjal) and the team converted some of our collective product brainstorming sessions into an amazing live-streaming product and a subscription business for the test prep market,â€ said Singh.

Unacademy was founded by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh in 2015. The firm said the platform empowers educators by making it easy for them to create high-quality educational lessons on the Educator App, that learners access via the Learning App. The platform currently has more than 10,000 registered educators and 13 million learners. The company had previously raised a Series C round of $21 million in July 2018 from Sequoia India, SAIF Partners, Nexus Venture Partners, and others. In October 2018, Unacademy acquired Jaipur-based online education and career portal Wiï¬study, one of the fastest growing education YouTube channels in the world.

The company said it has the largest distribution for educational videos on its free platform and YouTube and Unacademy lessons have more than 100 million monthly views across these platforms. Unacademyâ€™s YouTube channels currently have more than 11 million subscribers, according to the company.

The global online education market is projected to reach a total market size of $286.62 billion by 2023, increasing from $159.52 billion in 2017, according to the report titled â€˜Global Online Education Market.â€™

In March this year, another edtech company Byjuâ€™s raised an additional funding of $31 million in a financing round led by US-based growth equity investor General Atlantic (GA), along with Chinese internet giant Tencent. The investment took the valuation of Byjuâ€™s to over $5 billion, from $3.6 billion when it raised $540 million in a funding round led by South African conglomerate Naspers in December last year.

Source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/edtech-firm-unacademy-raises-50-mn-in-series-d-from-steadview-others-119062601035_1.html

Tags: CSE, edtech, india, online education, stocks, tsx, tsx-v
Posted in All Recent Posts, betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca â€“ #Edtech firm #Unacademy raises $50 mn in Series D from Steadview, others $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca â€“ The radical idea hiding inside #Facebook $FB digital currency #Libra proposal $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:27 AM on Wednesday, June 26th, 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 Canadaâ€™s biggest small-cap exits. Click Here For More Information.

The radical idea hiding inside Facebookâ€™s digital currency proposal

A major goal of the Libra Association, the nonprofit Facebook has created to manage the projectâ€™s development, is to use Libra to revolutionize the concept of digital identity.
Relevant passage lives near the bottom of a document meant to explain the role of the Libra Association:
â€œAn additional goal of the association is to develop and promote an open identity standard.

by Mike Orcutt

Last week, after months of hype and speculation, Facebook finally revealed its plan to launch a blockchain system, called Libra. Since the launch, most of the attention has focused on Libra coin, the cryptocurrency that will run on the new blockchain.

But tucked away in one of the documents Facebook published is something that may turn out to be just as important as the coinâ€”if not more so. A major goal of the Libra Association, the nonprofit Facebook has created to manage the projectâ€™s development, is to use Libra to revolutionize the concept of digital identity.

The relevant passage lives near the bottom of a document meant to explain the role of the Libra Association: â€œAn additional goal of the association is to develop and promote an open identity standard. We believe that decentralized and portable digital identity is a prerequisite to financial inclusion and competition.â€

But what is a â€œdecentralized and portable digital identityâ€? In theory, it provides a way to avoid having to trust a single, centralized authority to verify and take care of our identifying credentials. For internet users, it would mean that instead of relying on Facebook or Googleâ€™s own log-in tool to provide our credentials to other websites, we could own and control them ourselves. In theory, this could better protect that information from hackers and identity thieves, since it wouldnâ€™t live on company servers.

The concept (sometimes called â€œself-sovereign identityâ€) is something of a holy grail in the world of internet technology, and developers have been pursuing it for years. Big companies including Microsoft and IBM have been working on decentralized identity applications for a while now, and so have a number of startups.

But itâ€™s more than just an internet thing. For the roughly one billion people around the world without any kind of identifying credentials at all, such technology could make it possible to access financial services that they cannot today, starting with things like bank accounts and loans.

Helping some of those people must be part of what Facebook meant when it said in the Libra white paper that the new system is intended to â€œserve as an efficient medium of exchange for billions of people around the worldâ€ and â€œimprove access to financial services.â€ In some cases the currency itself might be able to do that, but in others itâ€™s likely that users will need some form of identification to access a particular service. Thatâ€™s probably why Libraâ€™s developers call an open, portable identity standard a â€œprerequisite to financial inclusion.â€

But such a digital identity could go beyond finance, too. Sharing many kinds of sensitive data using a blockchainâ€”for instance, health informationâ€”might require some form of automated ID check.

Facebook itself already has experience with digital identities. Facebook Connect lets users log in to third party sites using their Facebook-verified credentials (you might be using it to access technologyreview.com right now). But Facebook Connect is risky because it relies on a central authority, argues Christopher Allen, cochair of the credentials community group of the World Wide Web Consortium, the most important international standards body for the web. Trusting one entity with this responsibility is dangerous because the site could go down or the business could fail. And Facebook can revoke accounts at will.

But itâ€™s hard to say how decentralized Libraâ€™s new identity system would be, because Facebook hasnâ€™t revealed anything about what itâ€™s planning.

For example, thereâ€™s the possibility that the digital identity will only work inside the Libra network, which requires permission to participate in. Unlike systems like Bitcoin and Ethereum, for which anyone with the right hardware and an internet connection can join and help validate transactions, Libra requires its validators to be identified and approved. Nearly 30 companies have already signed up to run network â€œnodes,â€ and Libraâ€™s developers want to up that to 100 by the time the platform is supposed to launch for real next year.

Facebookâ€™s main message with the launch of Libra and the Libra Association appears to be a response to past criticisms of how it handled personal data. The company appears to be saying â€œHey, look, weâ€™re trying to be more open. We donâ€™t want to be this honey pot of everyoneâ€™s information,â€ says Wayne Vaughan, co-founder of the Decentralized Identity Foundation, a consortium of companies all working on aspects of blockchain-based identity. But if whatever identity standard they might come up with only works for 100 companies, says Vaughan, â€œthatâ€™s not decentralizedâ€â€”itâ€™s just a standard for 100 companies. Facebook did not respond to a request for comment.

Either way, itâ€™s not clear how Facebook and the Libra Association would overcome some big technical challenges that have held back blockchain-based identity systems. For one, blockchains are still hard to use for many people. A problem that is particularly difficult for identity applications is that if you lose or forget your private keys, which arenâ€™t easy to manage in the first place, itâ€™s hard to restore them, says Allen.

Another technical challenge pertains to privacy. How will the personal identification data be kept separate from financial transactions? This piece is particularly concerning for privacy advocates in the context of Libra, given Facebookâ€™s less-than-stellar track record. And an aversion to financial surveillance fuels much of the cryptocurrency movement.

â€œWhere you spend your money and who you spend it with and how much you spend is some of the most private information for people,â€ says Vaughan.

On the whole, says Allen, though the technology of decentralized identity has advanced to the point of several serious pilot tests, itâ€™s â€œnot anywhere near readyâ€ for adoption by billions of people around the world. And given what the company has revealed so far, â€œI donâ€™t see how Facebook can do it,â€ he says.

Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613877/how-facebooks-new-blockchain-might-revolutionize-our-digital-identities/

Tags: Bitcoin, blockchain, CSE, ether, stocks, tsx, tsx-v
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Marijuana Company of America $MCOA Announces Successful Launch of hempSMART™ CBD Product Sales in Scotland $AERO $CBDS $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX $ACG $ACB $WEED.ca $HIP.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:46 AM on Wednesday, June 26th, 2019

Announced that the Companyâ€™s wholly owned subsidiary, hempSMART, Ltd., has successfully launched and generated sales from its hempSMART™ CBD product line in Scotland.
On June 22, 2019, the hempSMARTÂ UK team successfully sold outÂ at its launch event, which led to the sign-up of numerous new marketing associates.

ESCONDIDO, Calif., June 26, 2019 – -Â MARIJUANA COMPANY OF AMERICA INC. (â€œMCOAâ€ or the â€œCompanyâ€) (OTCQB: MCOA), an innovative hemp and cannabis corporation, is pleased to announce that the Companyâ€™s wholly owned subsidiary, hempSMART, Ltd., has successfully launched and generated sales from its hempSMART™ CBD product line in Scotland.

On June 22, 2019, the hempSMART UK team successfully sold out at its launch event, which led to the sign-up of numerous new marketing associates. The Companyâ€™s launch event included an in-depth overview on the education of the CBD industry and its hempSMART products, as well as its marketing and compensation plans.

â€œWe are delighted to report another milestone with the opening of hempSMART and our expansion into Scotland,â€ said Mr. Ian Harvey, Global Sales Director of hempSMART, Ltd. â€œThere is a real demand for high-quality CBD products throughout Europe, and the success demonstrated from our sales in Scotland has confirmed this. After Saturdayâ€™s event, Scotland is an ideal location for the hempSMART brand, with future events and opportunity presentations already in place. I personally didnâ€™t expect to ever be a part of a new company that could generate so much success and excitement in such a short period of time.â€

â€œWe are excited to finally offer our premium line of CBD products to the country of Scotland,â€ said Mr. Don Steinberg, CEO of MCOA. â€œIt has always been MCOAâ€™s goal to open sales of its hempSMART products in multiple countries around the world. Our Company anticipates additional expansions of our footprint into other EU countries moving into the second half of 2019.â€

About Marijuana Company of America, Inc.
MCOA is a corporation that participates in (1) product research and development of legal hemp-based consumer products under the brand name â€œhempSMART™â€ and targets general health and well-being; (2) an affiliate marketing program to promote and sell its legal hemp-based consumer products containing CBD; (3) leasing of real property to separate business entities engaged in the growth and sale of cannabis in those states and jurisdictions where cannabis has been legalized and properly regulated for medicinal and recreational use; and (4) the expansion of its business into ancillary areas of the legalized cannabis and hemp industry, as the legalized markets and opportunities in this segment mature and develop.

About Our hempSMART Products Containing CBD
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized CBD as a safe and effective drug for any indication. Our products containing CBD derived from industrial hemp are not marketed or sold based upon claims that their use is safe and effective treatment for any medical condition as drugs or dietary supplements subject to the FDAâ€™s jurisdiction.

Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” that are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as “anticipate,” “seek,” intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan” or similar phrases that may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company’s reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-12G, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov.

Contact:
[email protected]
888-777-4362
Corporate Communications Contact:
NetworkWire (NW)
New York, New York
www.NetworkNewsWire.com
212.418.1217 Office
[email protected]

For more information, please visit the Companyâ€™s websites at:

MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com
hempSMART.com
NetworkNewsWire/MCOA

Tags: Cannabis, CBD, CSE, Hemp, Marijuana, otc, stocks, tsx, tsx-v, weed
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Spyder Cannabis $SPDR.ca Celebrates Canada Day Weekend with Launch of New #Hemp Energy Drink Line $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:39 AM on Wednesday, June 26th, 2019

Announced that, in celebration of Canada Day, it will launch its new Hemp Energy Drink line over the Canada Day long weekend, on June 29, across its existing Ontario locations, as well as its two brand new accessories stores in Niagara Falls and Pickering, set to open this weekend.
Samples will be available at all locations.

Vaughan, Ontario–(June 26, 2019) – Spyder Cannabis Inc. (TSXV: SPDR) (“Spyder Cannabis” or the “Company“) is excited to announce that, in celebration of Canada Day, it will launch its new Hemp Energy Drink line over the Canada Day long weekend, on June 29, across its existing Ontario locations, as well as its two brand new accessories stores in Niagara Falls and Pickering, set to open this weekend. Samples will be available at all locations.

As previously disclosed in the Company’s press release of June 18, 2019, Spyder Cannabis signed an exclusive agreement with Tetra Natural Health, a subsidiary of Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSXV: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF), to distribute the three flavors of its Hemp Energy Drink in cannabis accessory stores, vape stores, and kiosks in Canada and the United States.

“We are thrilled to launch a premium brand, the Hemp Energy Drink, to our customers this Canada Day long weekend, starting June 29th. This is a historic time for the Canadian hemp industry, and we are excited to be at the forefront of the retail and wholesale distribution of innovative new products. Our focus is on providing unique and distinctive quality hemp derived options, specially curated to meet the needs of all Canadians. We are looking forward to sharing our products throughout Canada,” stated Daniel Pelchovitz, CEO and President of Spyder.

Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3742/45892_16ecf44fe4f8b8d6_003full.jpg

About Spyder

Founded in 2014 Spyder is an established chain of three high-end vape stores in Ontario, with stores located in Woodbridge, Scarborough and Burlington. The Spyder brand is defined by its high-quality proprietary line of e-juice, liquids and exclusive retail deals, dispensed in uniquely designed stores creating the optimal customer experience. Spyder is building off this leading retail, distribution and branding eCig and vapes company and expanding into the legal cannabis and hemp derived market. Spyder has developed a scalable retail model with aggressive expansion plan to create a significant retail footprint with targeted and disciplined retail distribution strategy focusing on Canadian retail and U.S. hemp kiosks in high traffic peripheral areas.

About Tetra Natural Health:

Tetra Natural Health Inc. is a subsidiary of Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. that focuses on identification, development and marketing of hemp or cannabis-based natural health products, or cannabinoids-based products authorized for sale by Health Canada. For more information, visit: www.tetranaturalhealth.com.

About Tetra Bio-Pharma:

Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSXV: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) a biopharmaceutical leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and development with a Health Canada approved and FDA reviewed clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. Tetra Bio-Pharma has subsidiaries engaged in the development of an advanced and growing pipeline of Bio Pharmaceuticals, Natural Health and Veterinary Products containing cannabis and other medicinal plant-based elements. With patients at the core of its mission, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing bio pharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance companies. For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com

Cautionary Statements

This news release includes statements containing certain “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “continue”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur.

These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made. Any number of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Spyder Cannabis Inc.
Dan Pelchovitz
President & Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: (905) 265-8273
Email: [email protected]

Bullseye Corporate
Crystal Quast
Bullseye Corporate
[email protected]

Tetra Natural Health
Richard GiguÃ¨re, CEO
Tel.: (438) 899-7575 ext. 210
[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45892

Tags: CSE, Hemp, Marijuana, stocks, tsx, tsx-v, weed
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ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca â€“ What #Bitcoin Breaking $11,000 Means for the #Crypto Market’s Future $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:36 PM on Tuesday, June 25th, 2019

What Bitcoin Breaking $11,000 Means for the Crypto Market’s Future

Bitcoin, which collapsed to a low of $3,100 in December, smashed through the $11,000 mark on Sunday after breaking through the critical $10,000 level.
Both levels were considered highly unlikely only a few weeks ago.

By Shoshanna Delventhal Updated Jun 25, 2019

Bitcoin, which collapsed to a low of $3,100 in December, smashed through the $11,000 mark on Sunday after breaking through the critical $10,000 level. Both levels were considered highly unlikely only a few weeks ago. At a price just under $11,000 on Monday evening, the worldâ€™s largest digital coin by market capitalization recovered over half its historic increase during the peak of the crypto frenzy when it neared $20,000 before crashing almost 75%.

Bitcoin’s continued rise, which is also fueling rallies in Asian cryptocurrency stocks, illustrates the currency’s resilience in the face of major skepticism and also cryptocurrency’s widening acceptance by major established companies such as Facebook Inc. (FB), investment behemoth Fidelity, and others, as outlined in a detailed Bloomberg report.

Crypto Money Has Been ‘Waiting on the Sidelines’

â€œThe bounce back of Bitcoin has been fairly extraordinary,â€ said George McDonaugh, chief executive and co-founder of London-based blockchain and cryptocurrency investment firm KR1 Plc, to Bloomberg just after the virtual currency breached the key $10,000 level on Friday. It was the first time that Bitcoin had reached that level in roughly 15 months. â€œMoney didnâ€™t leave the asset behind, it just sat on the sidelines waiting to get back in.â€

Some traders and ultra-bulls are betting Bitcoin can hit $50,000, per The Wall Street Journal.

This in part due to renewed mainstream interest in cryptocurrencies and the distributed ledger technology that it runs on. Facebookâ€™s Libra is perhaps the highest profile crypto project, as the social media pioneer partners with companies such as Visa Inc. (V) and Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) to build the system.

Asian Crypto-Stocks Gain Momentum Alongside Bitcoin Rally

The crypto rally coincided with a rally in related stocks in Asia on Monday, per another Bloomberg report. In Tokyo, GMO Internet Inc. jumped 7%, while Metaphs Inc. climbed 11%, Remixpoint Inc. 6.2%, and Ceres Inc. increased 4.4%. In South Korea, Vidente Co. increased 5.4%, and Woori Technology Investment Co. jumped 4.6%.

Supun Walpola, an analyst with LightStream, attributes gains in Asian crypto-stocks to Bitcoinâ€™s resurgence. â€œGoing long on stocks that have exposure to cryptocurrency is something that we have seen in the past during a Bitcoin/cryptocurrency bull run — especially with those who want to avoid the volatility of crypto but at the same time want to have some exposure into these markets,â€ he said, adding that the increase in stock prices for these crypto companies typically increase more than the actual benefit that these firms would get during a crypto surge. This has â€œalways resulted in immediate corrections,â€ Walpola wrote in an email to Bloomberg.

That said, investors should check themselves before investing in crypto stocks despite their relatively lower risk, given â€œsuch strategies have often gone wrong when crypto markets turn red — which could happen just about at any time,â€ said the analyst.

While Bitcoin has eased back below $11,000 it is still dramatically higher than the $10,000 support level. Bitcoin’s 2019 rebound â€“ and that of other cryptocurrencies â€“ will be tested by the latest calls by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for new global regulatory standards to bring cryptocurrency “out of the shadows” and to prevent illicit financing by criminals, terrorists and rogue nations. Crypto bulls say these rules would hobble the young industry, as outlined in another Bloomberg report.

Looking Ahead

Despite the growing demand for cryptocurrencies and signs that the long â€œcrypto winterâ€ is over, various headwinds threaten to pull Bitcoin back below $10,000, likely resulting in a downfall for the rest of the nascent industry. These risks position the digital coin for continued volatility as demonstrated in May. Alongside other downside drivers, the fact that bitcoins are used mostly for speculation, not commerce, has also been a main concern cited by bears.

Source: https://www.investopedia.com/what-bitcoin-breaking-usd11-000-means-for-crypto-market-s-future-4691230

Tags: Bitcoin, blockchain, CSE, ether, stocks, tsx, tsx-v
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Further To BIG Partnership Announcement With #Dignitas, #Esports Insider Features Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:19 PM on Tuesday, June 25th, 2019

In the gambling sphere, thereâ€™s barely a bookmaker now that doesnâ€™t include esports and thereâ€™s a plethora of esports specific operators too
One thing that hasnâ€™t quite materialized yet is betting exchanges, similar to Betfair, and this is an opportunity Esports Entertainment Group are keen to capitalize on.Â

By Esports Insider

Thereâ€™s undoubtedly been growth in esports betting over recent years. Entertainment and betting arguably go hand-in-hand and players are already betting on a multitude of titles ranging from Counter-Strike through to Hearthstone. In the gambling sphere, thereâ€™s barely a bookmaker now that doesnâ€™t include esports and thereâ€™s a plethora of esports specific operators too. One thing that hasnâ€™t quite materialised yet is betting exchanges, similar to Betfair, and this is an opportunity Esports Entertainment Group are keen to capitalise on.

A week on from the news of a big partnership with Dignitas, we spoke to Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group about his Vie.gg exchange â€“ what theyâ€™re trying to achieve â€“ and how he sees the intersection between gambling and esports developing.

Grant Johnson, Vie.gg CEO (right)

Esports Insider: Tell us about how Vie came about. As a seasoned gambling expert, your profile doesnâ€™t fit the typical â€˜gamerâ€™ mold â€“ so what piqued your interest in this particular area?

Grant Johnson: It all came about back in 2013 when I was doing some work with a group who wanted to get into the sports bet casino business. They asked me what was â€œnewâ€. I did some research and started reading about esports. I had the good fortune to get introduced to Alex Lim. At the time he was the Secretary-General of the IeSF. He, in turn, introduced me to Ken Silva, founder, and president of EsportsCanada, who invited me to the Starcraft championship in Toronto late 2013.

I was absolutely blown away by the excitement and energy displayed by the fans at the event and the fact that the vast majority of the fans were in their 20s. I spoke to several people regarding interest in wagering and the feedback was unanimous â€” there was a strong interest. Effectively that was the ah-ha! moment for me. The group I was working with decided they were not interested in the sector so I decided to launch my own company at the time called VGambling, which has evolved into Esports Entertainment Group (OTCQB:GMBL). Which in turn launched Vie.gg and the bet exchange platform.

ESI: The gambling industry on the esports side clearly isnâ€™t as developed as the traditional sports counterpart yet â€” why do you think this is and how do you think this can change?

GJ: Yes, I do believe it will change and itâ€™s already happening. I believe the fan base has to become comfortable with betting. Clearly, some already are and that number is growing rapidly. As I did my research, transparency and Player vs Player options were a constant theme in the feedback we were getting. Hence the bet exchange platform which is specifically suited for the PvP wagering.

We went the route of being a publicly traded company so that the fans, players, and bettors could see with full transparency who was behind the platform. Generally, it is almost impossible to tell with traditional betting operators who the people really are behind it.

ESI: Vie.gg is one of the only exchanges currently in esports. How important are exchanges in a betting ecosystem and do you envisage the space developing in the future?

GJ: Clearly by virtue of the fact we elected to go this way. We are strong believers in the bet exchange system. Esports is all about competing against your friends, and here the bet itself becomes a competition of knowledge which our research has told us is key to the fans of esports. The players can bet directly against each other and not have to deal with the house taking a position against them as it is in traditional betting.

â€œI was absolutely blown away by the excitement and energy displayed by the fans at the event and the fact that the vast majority of the fans were in their 20sâ€

As the esports community becomes more comfortable with placing a bet and they come to understand that bet exchange is a more transparent option for them, we feel in the end a significant portion of the market will prefer the exchange model. At this stage, itâ€™s all about educating the fan base about the player versus player bet experience and that is where our main focus lies right now.

ESI: The esports market has been fragmented and regulation is fast improving with more traditional sports betting operators coming in and positioning themselves in the market. What do you see the landscape looking like five years from now? How is Vie positioned differently to these traditional sportsbook brands?

GJ: I agree that there is a great deal of change and educating taking place. The traditional sports books are offering esports in the general belief that their sportsbook player base will cross over to do some esports betting. I do think in certain titles there is some crossover, however, we think that percentage is fairly small.

We believe a focussed effort on the esports fan specifically is key. I agree with the financial experts that the esports betting space will see explosive growth in the next five years. And I believe I have read that esports gambling could, in fact, eclipse the current size of the esports ecosystem itself. That offers huge potential.

I believe in our position as the first mover with the exchange and the transparency that comes with being public. We also believe in partnering with the esports brands that the fan base trusts and follows. Our new and exciting partnership with Dignitas will put us in a strong position to be a major beneficiary of this growth.

ESI: Vie.gg are involved with teams like Dignitas and Epsilon and other esports teams with collaborative sponsor agreements amongst other streamers and influencers. How do you leverage the relationships these offer and what can fans expect to see from these partnerships in the future?

GJ: Clearly, influencers like teams and streamers have a great deal of social exposure and connection with their followers. By aligning ourselves with these teams and brands such as Epsilon and our newest partners Dignitas, both of which have loyal long term fan bases, we are in a position to offer our product to the fans in partnership with the brands.

â€œI believe I have read that esports gambling could, in fact, eclipse the current size of the esports ecosystem itself. That offers huge potentialâ€

It is a continuation of our belief in transparency and dedication to the esports industry and we feel that in the long run, it will give us an option to offer the fans a way to have confidence in and feel comfortable using Vie.gg for placing wagers when they chose to do so.

Source: https://esportsinsider.com/2019/06/grant-johnson-vie-gg-building-an-esports-betting-exchange/

Tags: CSE, EA sports, egaming, esports, Fortnite, LOL, stocks, tsx, tsx-v
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North Bud Farms $NBUD.ca Signs Binding Letter of Intent to Acquire Nevada Botanical Science $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:14 PM on Tuesday, June 25th, 2019

Entered into a binding letter of intent, effective June 23, 2019, to acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of Nevada Botanical Science, Inc.
Transaction valued at USD$7Â million
Located in Reno, Nevada
Medical and adult use licenses for cultivation extraction and distribution.
NBS currently operates a 5,000 sq. ft. indoor cultivation facility and have been approved for expansion of up to 100,000 sq. ft.

TORONTO, June 25, 2019 — North Bud Farms Inc. (CSE: NBUD) (OTCQB: NOBDF) (“NORTHBUD” or theÂ “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding letter of intent (â€œLOIâ€), effective June 23, 2019, to acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of Nevada Botanical Science, Inc. (â€œNBSâ€) in a transaction valued at USD$7Â million.Â Â Â Â Â

Nevada Botanical Science is located in Reno, Nevada. They hold medical and adult use licenses for cultivation extraction and distribution. NBSâ€™ operation is located on 3.2 acres of land within the Reno green zone industrial park. NBS currently operates a 5,000 sq. ft. indoor cultivation facility and have been approved for expansion of up to 100,000 sq. ft. The property also houses an extraction facility and commercial kitchen capable of manufacturing beverages and edibles. Operated by healthcare professionals, NBS has been primarily focused on the cultivation and manufacturing of medical cannabis products. NBS currently manufactures and sells award winning* (Jack Herer Cup 2018) topical pain creams, balms and lotions under the Trichomic brand.

â€œWe are very excited to have the opportunity to enter the Nevada market,â€ said Ryan Brown, CEO of NORTHBUD. â€œThe Nevada market is considered one of the best markets in America with recreational sales of USD$580 million in the first full year of legalization* (2017 Nevada Dept. of Taxation). Assuming the successful closing of the proposed transaction with NBS and our previously announced transactions with Eureka Vapor and Tanforan Ventures, we are building an excellent platform in the 3 largest markets in the United States on which to build our brand focused strategy.â€

â€œThe NBS team is pleased to be entering into this agreement with NORTHBUD, as we believe that NORTHBUD and its brands will be a perfect addition to our existing medical business and allow us to capitalize on the Nevada recreational market,â€ said Robert Dalrymple, MD., CEO of Nevada Botanical Science.

Transaction Terms
The proposed transaction (the â€œTransactionâ€) is currently structured as a share purchase agreement whereby in exchange for the purchase of all of the securities of NBS, NORTHBUD will pay USD$6M in cash and issue USD$1M in common shares (â€œCommon Sharesâ€) to the shareholders of Nevada Botanical Science (the â€œNBS Shareholdersâ€) with the price per Common Share to be determined based on a formula of the higher of (a) CAD$0.35 per Common Share and (b) the 30-day volume weighted average price (â€œVWAPâ€) calculated on the closing date (the â€œClosing Dateâ€) of a definitive agreement in respect of the Transaction (the â€œDefinitive Agreementâ€). In addition, NORTHBUD has agreed to loan up to USD$500,000 under a promissory note to NBS while the companies work towards a definitive agreement. Specific terms of the promissory note are not yet determined, however any amounts loaned to NBS under the promissory note will be fully refundable and may be converted into equity in NBS, at the option of NORTHBUD, in the event that the transaction is not completed. NORTHBUD and NBS Shareholders expect to enter into the Definitive Agreement on or before October 1, 2019.

The Transaction is a significant acquisition but will not result in a â€œFundamental Changeâ€ pursuant to the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (â€œCSEâ€). Financial information on NBS will be disclosed following receipt of audited financial statements in connection with the Companyâ€™s due diligence. NORTHBUD will be preparing the necessary corporate and securities filings in order to secure the required approvals for the Transaction.

NORTHBUD has agreed to pay up USD$280,000 in broker/finder fees to armâ€™s length parties in connection with the closing of the Transaction.

The closing of the Transaction is conditional on the receipt by the parties of applicable corporate and regulatory approvals including that of the CSE.

While the proposed transactions involving NBS, Tanforan Ventures and Eureka Vapor are complementary, they are independent and the Company may ultimately proceed to close one, two, all or none of the proposed transactions, depending on market conditions and regulatory requirements.

About Nevada Botanical Science, Inc.
Founded by a group of northern Nevada physicians and healthcare professionals who believe in the promise of medical cannabis, Nevada Botanical Science has developed a world class cannabis production, research and development facility in Reno’s Washoe County. Its work and commitment are fully in compliance with the Hippocratic Oath as well as Nevada statute. Nevada Botanical Science is dedicated to ensuring the highest measure of safety, governance and stewardship for its patients, employees and the community it serves.

For more information visit: www.nevadabotanicalscience.com

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 is constructing a state-of-the-art purpose-built cannabis production facility located on 95 acres of Agricultural Land in Low, Quebec. North Bud Farms Inc. has entered into agreements to acquire assets in California, Colorado and Nevada.

For more information visit: www.northbud.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the â€œCSEâ€) 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, â€œforward-looking statementsâ€), including those identified by the expressions â€œanticipateâ€, â€œbelieveâ€, â€œplanâ€, â€œestimateâ€, â€œexpectâ€, â€œintendâ€, â€œmayâ€, â€œshouldâ€ 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 including those relating to the entering into of the Definitive Agreement, closing of the Transaction and associated approvals, Nevada Botanical Scienceâ€™s ability to achieve milestones under the Definitive Agreement and associated Common Share issuances. 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.â€™s final long form prospectus dated August 21, 2018 which is available under the issuerâ€™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]

Tags: CSE, Hemp, Marijuana, stocks, tsx, tsx-v, weed
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