SmallCapRelations Newsletter - June 24, 2019

SmallCapRelationsSpotlight Companies

Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (CSRH)

Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (CSRH) is a software development and mobile solutions company focused on the delivery of digital offerings to mobile devices. The company provides mobile offerings, delivery of mobile content, mobile payments solutions and products through a mix of direct offerings, partnerships, license agreements and joint venture arrangements. A multi-year transition from a transaction management company focused on transaction processing solutions and products for the payment processing and financial transaction markets to multiple business verticals deepens the company’s commitment to deliver innovating solutions to end users who are using smart handset devices in radical new ways.

Consorteum Holdings, utilizing its Universal Mobile Interface™ (“UMI”) solution, offers opportunities in numerous markets with its capacity to support fully regulated, regionally compliant financial and social transactions via web and mobile. The company’s UMI technology has the capacity to provide solutions in FinTech, data analytics, secure payment processing, compliance lead transaction management and various digital social event sectors. The UMI platform allows cross operating system development to support all mobile devices while addressing the complex and highly regulated needs of the mobile FinTech industry.

Full Profile & Latest News

Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. (SGSI)

Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. (SGSI) is a leading single-source provider of end-to-end, next-generation wireless and wireline network infrastructure services and staffing solutions to the service provider (carrier) and corporate enterprise markets across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Caribbean. Spectrum Global Solutions provides services directly to carriers, aggregators, utilities, enterprise, Project Management Organizations (PMO) and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) clientele through the following subsidiaries:

•  AW Solutions, Inc. and AW Solutions Puerto Rico, LLC – Provides best-in-class communications infrastructure deployment services to carriers, OEMs, PMOs, utilities and enterprise clients by offering discrete and full turnkey service solutions for wireless and wireline clientele. AW Solutions holds professional engineering licenses in all contiguous states and in the District of Columbia and Hawaii; the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador; in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

•  ADEX Corporation and ADEX Puerto Rico, LLC – An international service organization providing turnkey services and staffing solutions to telecommunications carriers and enterprise clients. Since 1993, ADEX has been assisting telecommunications companies throughout the project life cycle of any network deployment. ADEX and its service capabilities extend from the most basic installation functions to the most advanced engineering disciplines for today and tomorrow’s communications networks. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, ADEX employs technical professionals and provides infrastructure services worldwide via domestic and international locations.

•  Tropical Communications, Inc. – A state licensed electrical and underground utility contractor headquartered in Miami, Florida, providing all types of communications and infrastructure facility structured wiring services and solutions since 1984.

Full Profile & Latest News

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Black Iron Inc. (OTC: BKIRF) (TSX: BKI)

Black Iron Inc. (OTC: BKIRF) (TSX: BKI) (GR: BIN) is a Canadian iron ore exploration and development company advancing to production its wholly owned Shymanivske Iron Ore Project, located in Krivyi Rih, Ukraine. Black Iron’s Shymanivske project is situated in the southern part of the historic KrivBass iron ore mining district, a highly developed iron ore mining region with well-established infrastructure and nearby skilled labor forces. Surrounded by seven producing iron ore mines, the Shymanivske project will produce an ultra-high-grade, 68-percent iron ore concentrate with few impurities at very low cost.

The Market

Iron ore concentrates are one of the essential raw materials used by the steel industry to either make sinter or highly valued pellets. Black Iron’s concentrate can be used in either application and is an ideal source to make pellets since it does not need to be ground finer and contains very few impurities. According to the CRU Group, an internationally recognized top global business intelligence provider and consultancy specializing in commodities, there is a growing global shortage of pellet feed resulting in a supply/demand gap of 133Mt against the current base of approximately 400Mt consumed by 2035. According to a recent report issued by Zion Market Research, the global iron ore pellets market was valued at around US$25.22 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach US$50.12 billion by 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1 percent between 2018 and 2024 (http://nnw.fm/2vaDR).

Countries around the world, most notably China (http://nnw.fm/Je8gs), have instituted regulatory changes to curb polluting emissions from steel mills through numerous methods, including encouraging a shift to higher grade iron feed products such as pellets as less coal needs to be burnt per ton of steel produced.

Shymanivske Project

Black Iron’s Shymanivske’s project, which is expected to produce ultra-high-grade 68 percent iron content pellet feed iron concentrate, is generating significant interest from steel mills and global commodity trading houses. Use of ultra-high-grade 68-percent iron content product in the production of steel is a value-added product to customers since it increases blast furnace productivity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions generated per ton of steel produced.

The project’s proximity to rail lines (1 mile), electrical power (20 miles), sea ports (140 to 260 miles) and a skilled workforce (6 miles) significantly reduces the up-front construction costs and allows for the mine to be built in a phased approach. The Shymanivske project has been ranked by the CRU Group in the lowest position of the business cost curve for pellet feed projects currently under development and as the second lowest in capital intensity (construction capital divided by annual production) within CRU Group’s extensive database (http://nnw.fm/3MXsT). This low-cost position makes the project economics very robust to any shocks in iron ore price while providing a very high return at current and forecast prices.

Black Iron continues to advance its project on several fronts including construction funding and off-take agreements (http://nnw.fm/tQ4g2). Discussions with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense to transfer a parcel of land required by the company for location of its processing plant, waste rock and tailings are nearing finalization, as are discussions with the Kryviy Rih City Council to lease a portion of the surface rights currently under that body’s control. The recent engagement of Ivan Markovich as Black Iron’s Vice President of Government and Community Relations will assist the company in these endeavors given his extensive network of relationships with senior Ukraine government officials.

The Shymanivske project holds a mining allotment permit for a large iron ore deposit with a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimated to contain 646 Mt (million tons) Measured and Indicated mineral resources, consisting of 355 Mt Measured mineral resources grading 31.6% total iron and 18.8% magnetic iron, and Indicated mineral resources of 290 Mt grading 31.1% total iron and 17.9% magnetic iron, using a cut-off grade of 10% magnetic iron. Additionally, there are 188 Mt of Inferred mineral resources grading 30.1% total iron and 18.4% magnetic iron.

Full mineral resource details and project economics can be found in the NI 43-101 compliant technical report entitled “Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Re-scoped Shymanivske Iron Ore Deposit” effective November 21, 2017, under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Management

Black Iron’s management and board of directors is stacked with experts well-versed in successfully building and operating iron ore projects. CEO Matt Simpson, P.Eng. is the former general manager of Mining for Rio Tinto’s Iron Core Company of Canada and worked for Hatch designing global metallurgical refineries. He is also a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Chairman Bruce Humphrey is the former COO of GoldCorp and former chairman of Consolidated Thompson Iron Ore mines which was sold to Cliff’s resources for US$4.9 billion.

Les Kwasik, COO, has over 40 years of hands-on experience building and operating mines globally with companies such as INCO (VALE) and Xstrata (Glencore). Paul Bozoki, CFO, is the former CFO of CD Capital Partners, operating in the Ukraine. Bill Hart, senior vice president of corporate development, has over 30 years of experience selling iron ore while working for Rio Tinto, Cliffs Natural Resources and most recently Roy Hill Holdings Ltd. Ivan Markovich was recently engaged in the capacity of Black Iron’s vice president of Government and Community Relations to leverage his extensive network of relationships with senior Ukraine government officials.

Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (NUGS)

Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (NUGS), headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is focused on supporting entrepreneurial growth within the fast-growing legal cannabis sector. Through a selective portfolio of subsidiaries, Cannabis Strategic Ventures offers outsourced personnel solutions tailor-made to match the growth dynamics of cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, dispensaries and other cannabis marketplace participants. The company also pursues investment opportunities in the areas of real estate, cultivation, extraction, distribution, packaging, dispensary operations, and branded products within the cannabis space.

The legalization of adult-use sales in California is expected to create nearly 99,000 cannabis industry jobs in the state by 2021, representing about a third of all cannabis jobs nationwide, and 146,000 jobs overall when indirect and induced efforts are considered, according to Arcview Market Research. By 2021, direct cannabis industry employment will top 291,500 FTE jobs, with a total employment effect of nearly 414,000 FTEs across all legal cannabis states, according to the report.

Cannabis Strategic Ventures believes its staffing capabilities will be in a similar state of demand. The company in April 2018 completed a definitive agreement to acquire Worldwide Staffing Group, Inc., which booked approximately $1.5 million in revenues in 2017.

Worldwide will operate within Cannabis Strategic Ventures as an independent and separate wholly owned subsidiary providing strictly non-cannabis related employment and staffing services. As Worldwide continues to expand its operations in general clerical and administrative, marketing, accounting, and other verticals, Cannabis Strategic Ventures will leverage the subsidiary's expertise to expand its business operations further into the cannabis staffing arena, with an emphasis on the California markets.

Cannabis Strategic Ventures' BudHire™ subsidiary is an outsourced employment service specifically designed to meet the needs of growing cannabis-related business operations, utilizes a proven recruiting formula to match the most qualified candidates to a broad spectrum of cannabis-related jobs. Under the BudHire™ brand, Cannabis Strategic Ventures offers temporary, seasonal, permanent staffing solutions, as well as professional employment organization services and human resources consulting to the cannabis industry.

Cannabis Strategic Ventures portfolio also includes Pure Applied Sciences Inc. and its brand "PureOrganix™," a line of high quality concentrate, organic and pure cannabis oils that conform with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and meet FDA guidelines for Active Pharmaceuticals Products (API). The acquisition includes all intellectual properties, including formulations and technologies, and related accessories of Pure Applied Sciences.

Cannabis Strategic Ventures Pure Applied Sciences subsidiary, has a cannabis concentrate extraction services agreement with CP Logistics LLC ("CPL"), a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Sunniva Inc. (CSE:SNN) (OTCQX:SNNVF). Under this agreement, CPL will perform white label services producing high quality, ultra-purified cannabis extracts out of its Sun-Oil Facility in Cathedral City, California, for Pure Applied Sciences under the Pure Organix brand name.

The management team at Cannabis Strategic Ventures believes there is incredible opportunity to carve-out and control specific industry niches, to create unique cannabis consumer branded products, and to expand into other sub-sectors of the cannabis marketplace.

Canopy Rivers Inc. (TSX.V: RIV) (OTC: CNPOF)

Canopy Rivers Inc. (TSX.V: RIV) (OTC: CNPOF) is the venture capital investment platform of Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX: WEED, NYSE: CGC).

Canopy Rivers is a unique investment and operating platform structured to pursue investment opportunities in the emerging global cannabis sector. Canopy Rivers collaborates with Canopy Growth to identify strategic counterparties seeking financial and/or operating support. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Canopy Rivers has developed an ecosystem of complementary cannabis operating companies operating throughout the cannabis value chain.

Canopy Rivers, in collaboration with Canopy Growth, has established a diverse portfolio of cannabis industry investments that includes domestic and international companies, licensed producers, late-stage licensed producer applicants, pharmaceutical formulators, brand developers and distributors, retail networks, and technology and media platforms. Investments are customized for each counterparty and include a balanced mix of equity, debt, royalty and profit-sharing agreements.

Canopy Rivers’ expanding portfolio includes:

  • Agripharm Corp. (private) is an ACMPR licensed producer, acquired by Canopy Growth in January 2017. In November 2017 Agripharm completed a joint venture with globally recognized partners Green House Seeds and Organa Brands. Canopy Growth has sublicensed proprietary technology, trademarks, genetics, know-how and other intellectual property from Agripharm to distribute the suite of Green House and Organa Brands products across the country, when permissible.
  • CanapaR Corp. (private) owns 80% of CanapaR Italy, a Sicily-based company focused on developing and commercializing Italy’s local hemp cultivation industry through its partnership with the renowned Department of Agriculture at the University of Catania and its rapidly building extraction capabilities for the production of organic CBD oil. CanapaR Italy’s outsource farming model with local Sicilian farmers and its university partnership will provide it with a low-cost source of organic CBD oil, which is increasingly used as an input into new commercial products in the growing health and wellness industries.
  • Civilized Worldwide Inc. (private), is a media and lifestyle brand with offices in New Brunswick and California that embraces and highlights modern cannabis culture. Civilized aims to engage the millions of productive, motivated people who choose to enjoy cannabis responsibly as part of their lifestyle. Reaching 2+ million unique visitors per month, North America-wide, Civilized produces engaging content for and about people who enjoy cannabis responsibly.
  • James E. Wagner Cultivation Ltd. (TSXV:JWCA) was founded in 2007 by third generation agricultural and cannabis cultivators. JWC is the first entirely aeroponic producer of cannabis in Canada, and its patent-pending aeroponic production technology, called GrowthStormTM, allows for perpetual harvesting and improved yields. The company was issued a license to cultivate from Health Canada in January 2017 and a subsequent sales license in March 2018.
  • LiveWell Foods Canada Inc. (TSXV:LVWL) was established in 1993 as a nutritional lifestyle company, and operates in the production of fresh produce and food technology. The company’s O-Hemp division distributes bulk and retail hemp products through its existing channel partners. LiveWell entered into a strategic agreement with Canopy Rivers and Canopy Growth in April 2018.
  • PharmHouse (private) is a joint venture between Canopy Rivers and the principals and operators of leading North American greenhouse produce companies. PharmHouse has arranged to acquire a newly built 1.3-million-square-foot greenhouse located in Leamington, Ontario.
  • Radicle Cannabis Inc. (private) is an ACMPR-licensed cannabis company based in Hamilton, Ontario backed by a management team that brings extensive experience in regulated industries, retail distribution, tobacco and pharmaceutical development, as well as Award-winning cannabis horticulturist breeders and medical professionals.
  • Solo Growth (TSXV:ALZ) is a new cannabis retail concept that will operate locations under the name “YSS by Solo,” relying on the expertise of a management team comprised of founding shareholders, senior officers and board members of Solo Liquor Stores Ltd., a leading Canadian liquor retailer. Solo Growth was established through a recapitalization of Aldershot Resources Ltd.’s corporate structure that will allow the company to execute a new retail-focused cannabis business strategy.
  • Spot Therapeutics Inc. (private) is an applicant that was acquired by Canopy Growth in August 2017 to solidify its Maritimes expansion strategy and less than four weeks later Canopy Growth signed a supply MOU with the New Brunswick government. Canopy Rivers purchased the property and entered into a long-term lease and committed funding agreement with Canopy Growth.
  • TerrAscend Corp. (CSE:TER) cultivates high-quality cannabis in an indoor hydroponic facility, backed by a strategic investor boasting a strong background in the pharmaceutical space and an extensive portfolio of specialty pharma assets.
  • Vert Mirabel (private) is a joint venture that was established in December 2017 between Canopy Rivers, Canopy Growth, and Les Serres Stephane Bertrand. Bertrand is a large-scale greenhouse operator located in Mirabel, Quebec, and the largest grower of pink tomatoes in the country. With guidance and assistance from Canopy Growth, the greenhouse has been upgraded and retrofitted for cannabis production and was licensed by Health Canada in May 2018.

As the company’s portfolio continues to develop, each constituent benefits from opportunities to collaborate with Canopy Growth and among themselves. Canopy Rivers believes this formula results in an ideal environment for innovation, synergy and value creation for Canopy Rivers, Canopy Growth and across the entire Rivers ecosystem.

Canopy Rivers is led by an experienced team of qualified financial and technical professionals with deep industry experience and relationship networks. The company’s acting CEO and chairman is Bruce Linton, CEO of Canopy Growth and founder of Tweed Marijuana.

Chemistree Technology Inc. (CSE: CHM) (OTC: CHMJF)

Chemistree Technology Inc. (CSE: CHM) (OTC: CHMJF), an investment company focused on the U.S. and international cannabis sectors, provides turnkey solutions for the regulated cannabis industry. The company leverages managements' expertise and decades of experience in the cannabis industry to acquire and develop vertically integrated cannabis assets. Chemistree recently closed on a purchase of prospective cannabis cultivation property in California, made a first investment in the Canadian cannabis industry, owns assets in the State of Washington used to operate an established retail cannabis brand, and has an active pipeline of assets in place to grow its portfolio.

Chemistree offers industry leading expertise across all areas the cannabis business and in its growth as a public or private company.

  • Investment and funding for rapid growth
  • Vertical integration solutions
  • Construction, design and/or optimization of indoor or outdoor cultivation facilities
  • Reputation management & influencer outreach
  • Branding and Packaging
  • Social Media and Media outreach

With the marketing of cannabis companies and their products in its infancy, the company believes the industry offers tremendous opportunity for growth in the U.S. and abroad. Chemistree initially targeted the Pacific Northwest for investment and, following its recent California property purchase, expects to expand vertically across the United States in areas where it has a competitive business advantage.

Through its wholly owned CHM Desert LLC subsidiary, Chemistree owns 9.55 acres of undeveloped land in Desert Hot Springs, California. The property is zoned as Light Industrial Lands Designated for Marijuana Cultivation, and local zoning ordinances allow as a conditional use the location of up to three onsite cannabis cultivation buildings of 68,000 square feet each, along with support space that would support production of 55,000 pounds/year.

Through its wholly owned Chemistree Washington Ltd. subsidiary, Chemistree acquired physical assets used in the cultivation, production and distribution of cannabis. The Washington assets are currently under lease to Sugarleaf Farm LLC, which operates the Sugarleaf brand of retail cannabis products in the State of Washington. Sugarleaf Farm is a Tier 3 cannabis producer and processor whose products are sold in about 125 retail outlets. Chemistree has indicated the relationship with Sugarleaf may provide the company with additional opportunities to become involved in the marketing of Sugarleaf products.

Chemistree funded these acquisitions and investments with the proceeds of two non-brokered private placement financings completed earlier this year under the regulations of the Canadian Securities Exchange, totaling CAD$4.5 million. In conjunction with the private placements, the company was granted approval by the CSE for a change of business to become an Investment Issuer. This funding is expected to provide the company "maximum flexibility to take advantage of the numerous opportunities available in the cannabis industry in Canada and the U.S."

Chemistree also has a strategic investment in Pasha Brands Ltd., a British Columbia based cannabis company with multiple internationally recognized brands. Pasha has a proven history in cannabis retailing and its proposed Licensed Processing (LP) facility on Vancouver Island is in the final stage of the application for government approval. The LP facility is expected to assist in licensing selected craft growers of cannabis and expanding the distribution of locally grown product. The investment represents less than 10% of Chemistree's working capital.

Company Chairman Justin Chorbajian is co-owner of the largest chain of privately owned hydroponic retail shops in Canada. He also cofounded a group of companies that manufacture and distribute hydroponic equipment. He is a frequent contributor to Growing Exposed, the leading video series dedicated to cannabis cultivation. Company President Karl Kottmeier is a former investment advisor with 20 years of experience listing, financing and administering companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange. He has raised more than $150 million in equity capital for ventures. Chemistree CFO Doug Ford has been general manager of Dockside Capital Group Inc., a private merchant banking and venture capital firm serving emerging growth companies. Sheldon Aberman, the most recent member of the Board, has managed, designed and created industry leading grow room designs around the world. Additionally, he has built several leading brands such as Frost Box and Black Label and is an expert in the accessory market (vape pens, silicon mats and extraction tools etc.).

Data firm Statista has forecast the U.S. legal cannabis market will be worth more than $24 billion by 2025. New Frontier Data, which focuses exclusively on the cannabis industry, projects the value of the Canadian domestic cannabis market that same year at CAD$9.2 billion.

ChineseInvestors.com (CIIX)

ChineseInvestors.com (CIIX) has become a leading financial information website for Chinese-speaking investors in the United States and China. Recognizing unprecedented opportunities in the U.S. cannabis industry, CIIX is also laying the groundwork to capitalize on growing demand for cannabidiol (CBD)-based nutrition and health products.

Through its primary website, www.ChineseInvestors.com, CIIX offers a variety of investor education products and services, including real-time market commentary, analysis and educational related services in Chinese language character sets; consultative services to smaller private companies considering becoming a public company; and advertising and public relations related support services.

At the center of this initiative is the ChineseInvestors Method, a unique integration of a disciplined investing process, web-based tools, personalized instructions and support. Using this strategy, CIIX provides reliable market information to help investors make informed investment decisions and meet their individualized financial goals.

CIIX is also leveraging its financial expertise to enter into the burgeoning CBD industry, which within a few years has grown from a relatively invisible sector to a billowing market expected to reach $2.1 billion in consumer sales by 2020.

The increasing demand for CBD-based products is a catalyst for innovative business endeavors. To this accord, CIIX has established a three-year development plan to capitalize on the convergence of CBD and the nutrition and health products market in mainland China, where the benefits of CBD oil have not been widely recognized.

Under a wholesale agreement with a reputable CBD health brand, CIIX is launching the world's first online CBD health products store published in the Chinese language. The site, www.ChineseCBDoil.com, caters to a growing number of Chinese people awakening to the numerous health benefits of CBD oil for treatment of a variety of conditions such as anxiety, stress, poor sleep, Alzheimer's disease, and more. CIIX expects to launch this website at the end of January 2017, and plans to sell CBD-infused products via online and in-store.

In conjunction, CIIX's cannabis-focused "Yelp"-style mobile app is in development as a platform for Chinese people to review and discuss various cannabis products. The app will be the first marijuana social media mobile app designed for Chinese-speaking customers worldwide.

Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTC: CHOOF)

Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTC: CHOOF) channels the laid-back spirit of Hawaii to the Okanagan region of British Columbia with a generous nod to the inspirational, yet unofficial, history of the 1970s "Choom Gang," a group of buddies in Honolulu (including former President Barack Obama) who knew how to relax with "choom," the local's term for marijuana. Choom's trademark slogans pivot off another unconventional phrase ("Say Hello to…"), bringing a heady dose of good times and good friends together as the company invites investors to "Say Hello to Choom™" as it lights up the adult recreational cannabis market in Canada.

Choom™ has been an ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations) applicant since November 2013 in Vernon, B.C. The company's first application has received security clearance and is now in the detailed review stage. They also recently announced their second late-stage ACMPR application, which is in its confirmation of readiness stage. Cannabis Compliance Inc. has been retained to help expedite Choom's initial license applications to ensure the company's readiness for legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada mid-summer 2018.

True to the company's character, Choom™ is retrofitting two large facilities – No. 1 in Vernon, B.C., and No. 2 on Vancouver Island – to house its cannabis growing facilities. Phase 1 of the Vernon property will provide Choom™ with 6,800 square feet of growing space, capable of producing 660 kg/year of cannabis at an estimated revenue of $6.6 million, excluding oils. The company expects this facility to be completed by July 2018, the same month that Canada is expected to formally legalize recreational marijuana for adult use. A potential Phase 2, to be completed by the end of 2018, would add another 6,800 square feet for a total of 1,500 kg/year capacity, which would nearly double No. 1's revenue. A Level 9 vault is also planned with a storage capacity of 15,000 kg. While the No. 2 facility on Vancouver Island is smaller – 4,500 square feet – its retrofit is also slated to be completed by July 2018. Plans include doubling this space as well, which would add about $9 million in annual revenue, excluding cannabis oils.

Choom™ announced its retail dispensary strategy with the intention of establishing market leadership in reaching the Canadian cannabis consumer. The partner program is already in the retail space design stage as the company seeks to build a chain of branded retail cannabis dispensaries in jurisdictions in Canada where recreational cannabis is legal. Choom™ Stores will have a cool, modern layout and design created to emit an authentic "Aloha" vibe. Choom™ is all about producing high-grade cultivars and curating them for a bigger audience.

A savvy, experienced management team includes Chris Bogart, president and CEO; John Oh, R.P.I.C., Operations Manager; Robert Bayrack, Master Grower, S.P.I.C.; and Adrian Robinson, Strategic Advisor. Bogart has over two decades of international experience in capital markets and was a co-founder of InMed Pharmaceuticals and Magnum Uranium. He has structured complex equity financing transactions in the U.S., Europe and Canada. Bogart is joined on the Board of Directors by Kevin Pull, Stephen Tong and John Oh.

While the medical marijuana industry is expected to double by 2021 to 500,000 registered users, the true highlight of the recreational cannabis represents the key cultural shift set to launch in Canada. With an estimated $4.9B to $8.7B retail market coming, now is the right time for a Recreation Brand like Choom™ to be involved in this growing industry. Establishing and maintaining Choom™ premium brand loyalty is a key factor in the company's growth strategy. Get ready to "Say Hello" to opportunity, good times and good friends with Choom™.

City View Green Holdings Inc. (CSE: CVGR)

City View Green Holdings Inc. (CSE: CVGR) (formerly Icon Exploration Inc.) is a vertically integrated cannabis company focused on seed to retail. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, City View’s application to Health Canada for an Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”) license is now at the in-depth review stage of the licensing process. Following receipt of its Cannabis Act license, City View’s production plans include producing high quality edible products, distillates, and water-soluble products for the rapidly expanding domestic and international CBD-infused (cannabidiol) beverage market.

City View leases a 40,000-square-foot facility located in Brantford, Ontario, which has earned the enviable reputation as a business-friendly city. Retrofit plans for the building include adding state-of-the-art LED lighting, HVAC and dehumidification systems in addition to automation technologies to optimize the quality, safety and consistency of cannabis production. About 4,000 square feet will be devoted to an extraction laboratory featuring an ultra-efficient CO2 supercritical extraction process with plans to include ethanol extraction technology in the future. Another 4.3 acres remains available for future construction of up to 125,000 square feet of grow and extraction space.

City View recently entered into an agreement to purchase supercritical fluid extraction equipment which is undeniably the best method of selectively and cost-effectively extracting pure cannabis extracts containing THC, CBD and terpenes from the cannabis plant.

“The system we have chosen replaces the current mismatched collection of manual and semi-automatic solutions we’ve explored and offers an integrated system which maximizes product quality while minimizing labor expenses and yield losses,” City Green CEO Rob Fia said. “Our chosen supplier’s patented and proprietary extraction system offers the most consistent results and highest yields, with no degradation of materials.”

Mike Hagopian, the company’s chief operations officer and “extraction guru,” who most recently served the same role at Dose Oil, a licensed processor of cannabis extracts in Seattle, Washington, agrees.

“The equipment we have selected has been successfully used for a quarter century in fluid extraction and their methods have been applied to over 600 natural oils and compounds from over 300 different bio-botanical raw materials,” Hagopian said. “We are very confident this equipment will establish us as a leader in the processing of high-quality THC and CBD extracts.”

City Green’s master grower/managing partner is Mario Meek, whose deep knowledge of the cannabis space includes 10 years of networking, growing and cultivation experience in the medical cannabis industry. Meek was an original founding partner of WeedMD and is experienced in every aspect of growing marijuana from seed to the finished product.

Adding depth to the team is quality assurance specialist Yan Hai, an accomplished professional with 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, medical device, medical cannabis and natural health product industries. She holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering and applied chemistry/biomaterials and biomedical engineering from the University of Toronto.

City View also owns a 19.9 percent stake in Budd Hutt Inc., a retail-focused cannabis company with access to multiple licenses in Alberta and other retail opportunities across Canada. City View expects to secure shelf space and distribution opportunities for its premium cannabis products through an agreement with Budd Hutt.

Market Opportunity

The Canadian medical cannabis market has steadily been growing with an average 10 percent increase in patients each month. Now that the Canadian federal government has legalized recreational cannabis for adult users nationwide, analysts project a compound annual growth rate of nearly 78 percent from 2018 to 2021, reaching an estimated $3 billion by 2021, ArcView Market Research reports. One study from Deloitte pegged the potential economic impact of legalized medical and recreational marijuana in Canada – including transportation, licensing fees and security – at more than $22 billion over the coming years. Health Canada’s most recent data show that sales of cannabis extracts grew 961 percent in the second quarter of 2017, compared to an 89 percent increase in growth of dried cannabis during the same period.

Advisors to the Board

City Green CEO Rob Fia, CFA, is the former CEO of Icon Exploration Inc. and has more than 17 years of experience in the investment business, including equity research and corporate finance. Fia served as co-head of corporate finance at Kingsdale Capital Markets, involved in several multimillion-dollar financings and advisory transactions in the mining, oil and gas, alternative energy, technology, medical device, blockchain and medical marijuana industries.

Joe Heng, formerly CFO and secretary of Icon Exploration Inc., has over 36 years of industry experience in public accounting. He has been a self-employed Chartered Accountant since 1990 and received his designation form the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1973. Heng holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Malaya.

Steve Naraine, MSc., is an associate professor, founder and chief science officer of Cannavida; director of Aether Research; and a consultant to Health Canada. Naraine is a highly published, well-respected author of several scientific papers and has successfully advised several companies on becoming licensed producers with Health Canada.

Stephen McNeill is managing partner in Q4 Communications, a marketing and digital advertising company, and was a founding director of Georgian Bay Biomed which is building a large-scale facility in Collingwood, Ontario. McNeill entered the medical marijuana industry in 2013 and has provided communication, community liaison and other consulting services to several companies seeking to become a licensed producer under Health Canada.

Ian MacDonald, project lead, is a C-level CPG industry veteran with 30 years of international experience. He has a proven track record of leading and transitioning companies to long-term sustainable growth and brings his knowledge and expertise from working in the highly regulated and competitive alcohol sector into the emerging cannabis industry.

Tim Peterson was recently appointed to the board of directors of the company. He has been a director of Augen Gold, Trelawney Mining, Northern Crown Capital, Inc. (a merchant banking firm), Process Capital, Nordex Explosives and Oxygen and Prescott Paper Products, as well as the Mississauga Hospital Foundation. Peterson received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Western Ontario and is a former Ontario MPP (Mississauga South).

Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (CSRH)

Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (CSRH) is a software development and mobile solutions company focused on the delivery of digital offerings to mobile devices. The company provides mobile offerings, delivery of mobile content, mobile payments solutions and products through a mix of direct offerings, partnerships, license agreements and joint venture arrangements. A multi-year transition from a transaction management company focused on transaction processing solutions and products for the payment processing and financial transaction markets to multiple business verticals deepens the company's commitment to deliver innovating solutions to end users who are using smart handset devices in radical new ways.

Consorteum Holdings, utilizing its Universal Mobile Interface™ ("UMI") solution, offers opportunities in numerous markets with its capacity to support fully regulated, regionally compliant financial and social transactions via web and mobile. The company's UMI technology has the capacity to provide solutions in FinTech, data analytics, secure payment processing, compliance lead transaction management and various digital social event sectors. The UMI platform allows cross operating system development to support all mobile devices while addressing the complex and highly regulated needs of the mobile FinTech industry.

Led by the development team at Consorteum's wholly owned subsidiary 359 Mobile Inc., the Company has created an end-to-end FinTech solution utilizing the company's UMI technology platform. Current mobile application and transaction solutions are plagued by poor experiences. Because UMI's technology platform is designed to work across innovative payment, experience and product solutions, 359 Mobile believes there are both direct and partnership opportunities for the 359 Mobile UMI solution.

Consorteum's primary sales and marketing strategy is focused on enabling and delivering solutions to the global mobile FinTech market with an emphasis initially on mobile gaming. The trend towards increased mobile gambling supports the need for a mobile platform such as the UMI to meet existing and new compliance regulations for the online gambling industry. The online gambling market is projected to double to nearly $1 trillion by 2021, according to a study by Juniper Research, with the majority of growth in this sector attributed to mobile devices. Consorteum's management team believes there are fresh opportunities in this sector such as Mobile Marketing Services providing one-to-one marketing experiences for consumers; offering real-time services to Mobile Sports Book operators; and providing fixed odds betting solutions as well as social-based transactional solutions.

Consorteum's management team includes Chairman and CEO Craig A. Fielding, a co-founder of the company with extensive experience in technology, programming and large system building; and Chief Operating Officer Patrick Shuster, who has over 25 years of business experience in sales, engineering, operations and marketing for the telecommunications industry. They are joined by John Osborne, SVP of Technology of ThreeFiftyNine Inc., an innovator in embedded systems hardware and software design; Patrick Doran, SVP of business development and marketing with over 30 years of diversified experience in major corporations as well as early stage companies; and Glenn Charlesworth, VP of Accounting, a seasoned executive with a solid track record in financial reporting, strategic planning, general management and operations, finance, start-up situations, and cash flow challenged operations.

Consorteum Holdings is committed to bridging the mobile divide by providing mobile connectivity, secure transactional processing and social connectivity solutions for both cloud and hosted based offerings in multiple business sectors.

Cool Events Inc. (RNWR)

Cool Events Inc. (RNWR) offers an array of unique, experiential running and obstacle events that attract thousands of participants sharing a passion for running and helping others. The company produced over 120 events in 2018 under the banner of five successful brands and has already lined up venues for 2019.

Cool Events offers the following trademarked events throughout the nation, with each dedicated to raising funds for important charities: Blacklight Run, the largest glow powder run in the world; Bubble Run, the largest daytime 5K run in the country; Foam Glow, The largest nighttime glow run in the country and the world’s only glowing foam run; Blacklight Slide, the first and only close to five story high Glow-N-Dark water slide with neon glowing water; and Terrain Race, the nation’s fastest growing and industry leading obstacle course race for all ages and athletic abilities.

Cool Events dedicates each of its trademarked runs and events to childhood cancer awareness, making sure this critically important issue is spread throughout the nation one runner, one race at a time. Since its first event in August 2013, the company has donated more than $1 million to Phoenix Children’s Hospital/Children’s Miracle Network and hundreds of thousands more to other charity partners such as Ronald McDonald House Charities of New Mexico, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Adoption Awareness, Special Olympics Massachusetts, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Kendra’s Kisses, Boys and Girls Club and many more over the years.

Cool Events brings a seasoned management team with 35 years of combined experience in operating experiential events including obstacle course races, running races, experiential family events and other competitive events. The Cool Events team also offers consulting, marketing and development for outside events. The company’s in-house marketing agency can handle all brand awareness for event strategy, bringing an event’s vision and goals to life.

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST)

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST) is an innovative biotechnology company operating in the fields of hemp cannabinoid (CBD), nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and medical device research and development. Earth Science Tech offers the highest purity and quality, full-spectrum, high-grade hemp CBD (cannabidiol) oil on the market. Made using the supercritical CO2 liquid extraction process, the company's CBD oil is 100 percent natural and organic. Earth Science Tech has partnered with the University of Central Oklahoma and DV Biologics Laboratory to conduct research and development projects that scientifically support and advance the healthcare benefits of its high-grade hemp CBD oil.

Earth Science Tech Inc. currently has three wholly owned subsidiaries focused on developing its role as a world leader in the CBD space and expanding its work in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. These subsidiaries include:

  • Earth Science Pharma, Inc., which is committed to development of low cost, noninvasive diagnostic tools, medical devices, testing processes and vaccines for sexually transmitted infections and/or diseases. Earth Science Pharmaceutical CEO and chief science officer Michel Aubé is leading the company's research and development efforts. The company's first medical device, MSN-2, is a home kit designed for the detection of STIs, such as chlamydia, from a self-obtained gynecological specimen. Earth Science Pharma is working to develop and bring to market medical devices and vaccines that meet the specific needs of women.
  • Cannabis Therapeutics, Inc. ("CTI"), which is poised to take a leadership role in the development of new, leading-edge, cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. CTI is invested in research and development to explore and harness the medicinal power of cannabidiol. The company holds a provisional application patent for a CBD product that is focused on developing treatments for breast and ovarian cancers.
  • KannaBidioiD ("KBD") provides a wide variety of products geared toward the recreational space of cannabis. KBD's unique Kanna and CBD formulation is sold and distributed in CBD-infused edibles and vapes/e-liquids products. Kanna and CBD synergistically enhance one another, providing optimal relaxation, an uplifting sensation, enhanced focus and the added benefit of assisting with nicotine reduction therapy.

Earth Science Tech celebrated a significant, developmental year during 2017 by sharing its achievements in a condensed end-of-year report. Among the report's highlights are the implementation of a development plan for the coming three years, which includes expanding into Canada and opening new manufacturing and shipping facilities. Of particular interest is the acquisition of Canna Inno Laboratories Inc., a company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which gives Earth Science Tech access to Canadian government grants offered to innovators in the pharmaceutical industry. ETST has also launched development of proprietary prophylactic therapies utilizing cannabidiol (CBD) to treat various forms of breast cancer.

In October 2017, ETST announced it is cooperating with the Clinique SIDA Amité (AIDS Friendship Clinic) for a mini-clinical trial, the last trial needed before the MSN-2 device, designed for the detection of STIs, enters molecular diagnostic trials. And in November 2017, the company began pre-launch human trials on a new CBD formula to fight against the U.S. opioid epidemic. The new formula, expected to decrease cravings and the negative effects of withdrawal in addicts, is based on industrial hemp CBD mixed with a known natural ingredient proven to help increase dopamine levels. ETST's medical devices will first be launched in Vietnam, Djibouti and Morocco while the company awaits regulatory permission to enter the North American market.

The company expects to up-list to the OTCQB in early 2018, which management believes will attract well-funded institutional investors and pave the way to becoming the next billion-dollar-in-capitalization company on the OTC markets. Other highlights include completion of the company's Scientific Advisory Council with a team of recognized scientists, the launching of several CBD-infused edible products and entry into the medical devices market through collaborative partnerships.

Earth Science Tech has signed a collaborate agreement with Laboratories BNK Canada, a private laboratory that will conduct the clinical studies necessary for MSN-2 medical device-related services to meet regulatory requirements. ETST has confirmed the MSN-2 device's ability to detect chlamydia, and is working to validate similar results for gonorrhea, both highly infectious diseases that often have permanent consequences for patients. ETST will also add testing for trichomoniasis and a complete body fluid panel to detect the different serotypes of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. These additions will help the company create sales opportunities in the global market for diagnostic testing of STDs that Transparency Market Research has indicated will grow to $108 billion by 2019.

Cannabis Therapeutics is in the development stage of two cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical drugs and three cannabinoid-based nutraceutical products targeting a variety of ailments such as anxiety, depression, triple negative breast cancer, and fatty liver disease, among others. Research into the benefits of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid molecules found in the cannabis plant is supported by ETST's International Application for Provisional Patent titled "Cannabidiol Compositions Including Mixtures and Uses Thereof," which was filed on October 8, 2015. Cannabis Thera's R&D efforts are concentrated on developing CBD-based drugs and nutraceutical products and in working to integrate the CBD molecule with existing generic drug molecules to create more efficient medications with fewer and less severe side effects. A report in Hemp Business Journal predicts the CBD consumer market will grow to $2.1 billion by 2020, while other industry experts expect an increase to almost $3 billion by 2021. A recent report by Statista projects the U.S. consumer market for cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals could reach $50 billion by the year 2029.

The management team at Earth Science Tech brings decades of invaluable experience to the nutraceutical, dietary supplement field as well as the life sciences sectors. Nickolas S. Tabraue, who serves as the president, director and chief operating officer, is an industry veteran with extensive knowledge of supplements, retail management, customer service and sales expertise. He is joined by CEO and CSO Dr. Michel Aubé, a microbiologist whose scientific research in sexually transmitted infections, cancer and stem cell biology has been widely published in several prestigious medical journals. Sergio Castillo, chief marketing officer, and Gabriel Aviles, chief sales officer, bring a wealth of marketing and sales experience to Earth Science Tech, which is complemented by Issa El-Cheikh, Ph.D., and his 25 years in the international finance, accounting, planning and execution of large scale transactions in the public and private sectors.

Earth Science Tech's products include CBD, a natural constituent of hemp oil derived from hemp stalk and seed. EST offers CBD in the form of vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, personal care products, homeopathies, functional foods and other products delivered in such forms as capsules, tablets, soft gels, chewables, liquids, creams, sprays, powders and whole herbs. Earth Science products can be found at retail stores throughout the United States and are available for purchase through the internet.

Endonovo Therapeutics Inc. (ENDV)

Endonovo Therapeutics Inc. (ENDV) develops, manufactures and distributes evolutionary medical devices focused on the rapid healing of wounds and reduction of pain, edema and inflammation on and in the human body. These wearable, non-invasive medical devices are designed to deliver the company’s proprietary, patent protected Electroceutical™ Therapy targeting inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease and central nervous system (“CNS”) disorders.

In accord with its mission to transform the field of medicine through innovation, Endonovo’s bioelectric Electroceutical™ devices harness bioelectricity to restore key electrochemical processes that initiate anti-inflammatory processes and growth factors in the body necessary for healing to rapidly occur. Endonovo’s current portfolio of commercial-stage devices address chronic kidney disease, liver disease non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cardiovascular and peripheral artery disease (PAD), and ischemic stroke.

Flagship Therapy

SofPulse® Electroceutical ™ Therapy is an easy-to-place, non-invasive device that delivers pulsed electromagnetic frequencies to enhance post-surgical recovery. Used as a stand-alone therapy or integrated into any treatment protocol, SofPulse®’s targeted pulsed electromagnetic field (tPEMF) transmits gentle pulses to the tissue causing a positive biological effect to help reduce swelling and accelerate the body’s natural recovery process. The low levels of electromagnetic fields are completely safe and are 1000 times lower than those emitted by a mobile phone. 

Because SofPulse® lessens the pain of post-surgical recovery, the patient requires far less prescription medications, thereby minimizing or eliminating the adverse side effects of narcotics and anti-inflammatory medication. Studies have shown a greater than 2.2-fold reduction in narcotic use over the first 48 hours post-procedure. Patients with less pain and medication may move around sooner, which further stimulates the body’s natural response to healing.

Certifications

Endonovo’s Electroceutical™ Therapy is cleared by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (“FDA”) for the palliative treatment of pain and post-surgical edema (swelling) and is CE-marked in the European Economic Area (“EEA”) for the promotion of wound healing and the palliative treatment of pain and post-surgical edema. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has also certified Electroceutical™ Therapy for the treatment of chronic wounds.

Management

Alan Collier, Chairman and CEO
Alan Collier has more than 25 years of experience in corporate finance, IP development, telecommunications and technology, with a concentration in healthcare and technology over the past five years. Collier has served as CEO and director of IP Resources International Inc., where he was instrumental in developing a platform the for the licensing and acquisition of life science and technology companies. He has held numerous board and executive positions throughout his career in the telecommunications, technology, specialty finance, corporate finance and healthcare industries. Collier has previously held FINRA Series 7, 79, 63 and 24 licenses.

Michael Scott Mann, President
Michael Scott Mann has over 30 years of experience in merger and acquisitions and operational management. In 2008, Mann acquired the assets of Hanover Asset Management, now Endonovo Therapeutics Inc., and led the company to become listed on the OTCBB in 2012. He was the founder, president and CEO of Frankfurt-listed U.S. Debt Settlement Inc. (USDS), where he implemented a growth by acquisition strategy. 

Don Calabria, Chief Operating Officer
Don Calabria has over 20 years of leadership and experience in national business operations to emerging growth companies, mergers and acquisitions, finance and business development. Calabria holds an MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University.

Nevena Zubcevik, Chief Medical Officer
Nevena Zubcevik, D.O., MSPT, ATC, on July 1, 2019, will lead Endonovo’s medical and clinical strategy, including the development and regulatory matters and new business development. Zubcevik, a licensed physician and educator, has more than 24 years of experience in the medical field and was an attending physician at Harvard Medical School/Partners Healthcare in the physical medicine and rehabilitation department.

Steven Ford, Vice President of Marketing
Steven Ford has 25 years of experience in the field of medical devices, including experience in sales management, product management, product development, business development and research & development at companies such as Baxter, CR Bard, Ethicon, Allergan, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Alphatec Spine. Throughout Ford’s career, he has led and participated on over 75 product development teams and has launched over 50 medical devices globally. Ford is an innovative problem solver and has many patents in the areas of hemostasis, sealing and tissue reconstruction. Most recently, Steve was the U.S. vice president of marketing for Biom’up where he was a co-lead on the high-profile successful launch of their surgical hemostat HEMOBLAST Bellows. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from California State University.

David Clark, Vice President of Sales
David Clark has extensive surgical device commercial experience which includes 25 years in the surgical device industry with leading companies including Medtronic and Baxter Healthcare. Most recently, Clark was the U.S. executive vice president of sales for Biom’up where he was a co-lead in the high-profile successful launch of their surgical hemostat HEMOBLAST. As part of the launch, he built and led the U.S. sales team which included over 200 in-direct sales representatives and direct commercial leadership. During his 15 years with Baxter, the BioSurgery Division grew from a small revenue business into a major market player in the advanced hemostasis space with products such as FloSeal and Tisseel. Clark has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University.

Roc Alan McCarthy, Scientific Advisory Board Member
Roc Alan McCarthy, D.O, will help Endonovo continue to advance its clinical pipeline and contribute to the strategic and clinical development oversight of the company. McCarthy is a urologist in North Carolina, currently serving as the robotic surgeon and chairman of the robotics committee at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: FRSX) (TASE: FRSX)

Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: FRSX (TASE: FRSX), founded in 2015 and headquartered in Israel, is a technological innovator in automotive vision systems and driver assistance technology. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Foresight Automotive Ltd., Foresight is engaged in the design, development and commercialization of stereo/quad-camera vision systems and V2X cellular-based solutions for the automotive industry based on 3D video analysis, advanced algorithms for image processing and sensor fusion. The company's powerful and patented stereoscopic technology is derived from field-proven technology that has been deployed throughout the world for almost two decades.

Foresight's innovative autonomous driving solutions are based on mature, proprietary stereoscopic image technology that uses two synchronized cameras to mimic human depth perception and produce a three-dimensional image. This 3D image can anticipate possible collisions with other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and other obstacles. The technology provides highly accurate real-time alerts about the vehicle's surroundings while in motion. The systems are designed to improve driving safety by enabling highly accurate and reliable threat detection while ensuring the lowest rates of false alerts.

The company's patents provide IP protection for its robust and proven proprietary stereoscopic technology, which was developed using the security technology of Foresight's major shareholder, Magna B.S.P.

Foresight has developed three main products:

  • QuadSight™. This breakthrough detection system sets the bar for autonomous vehicle vision. It features nearly 100 percent obstacle detection with almost zero false alerts and operates optimally under all weather and lighting conditions, including darkness, rain, fog, haze and glare. QuadSight™ is the first quad-camera multi-spectral vision solution of its kind, driven by advanced and proven image processing algorithms. The system consists of two sets of stereoscopic infra-red and visible-light cameras that enable highly accurate and reliable obstacle detection for seamless 24/7 vision.
  • Eyes-On™. This solution uses advanced algorithms for accurate depth analysis and obstacle detection to provide a unique stereo vision Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). It can detect all potential obstacles regardless of shape, form or material, including other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and animals. It has an accuracy and reliability of almost 100 percent and near zero false alerts.
  • Eye-Net™. This is a cellular-based accident prevention solution that is designed to provide real-time pre-collision alerts to vehicles and pedestrians. This proprietary system is deployed on smartphones and cloud-based servers operating on existing cellular networks, and it eliminates the need for additional designated hardware. Eye-Net™ is designed to provide a complementary layer of protection to advanced driver assistance systems and extends this protection to road users who are not in direct line of sight. It is optimally designed for both urban environments and high-speed scenarios to provide protection for the most vulnerable road users. On March 28, 2018, Foresight announced that it had completed a successful feasibility study of its Eye-Net™ accident prevention solution involving 120 users of Android and iOS cell phones located across Israel.

In 2017, Foresight sought more opportunities within the international market. The Company signed pilot agreements with three leading car manufacturers in China and completed pilot projects meeting all pre-defined requirements and criteria. In addition, FRSX completed a pilot project with Uniti Sweden.

Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety continue to emphasize the dramatic reduction in accidents and injury-related crashes reported when vehicles are equipped with collision avoidance systems. A recent study by the Institute states that the rate of single-vehicle, sideswipe and head-on crashes was 11 percent lower in vehicles with the warning systems. More importantly, the study shows collision avoidance technology cut the rates of injury crashes of the same type by 21 percent.

Foresight Autonomous Holdings, Inc. also holds a 32 percent interest in RailVision, a company that develops advanced systems for railway safety and maintenance. RailVision has successfully completed 13 tests in Israel, Germany, Italy and Switzerland in addition to a real-time system test with a European railway operator. Over the course of 2017, RailVision successfully completed rounds of financing totaling $5.8 million and started the process of licensing the system according to European standards.

Haim Siboni is the founder of Foresight and has served as the company's chief executive officer and director since 2015. Siboni, a passionate entrepreneur, has an extensive background in the marketing and business management sectors in the fields of electronics, video, TV, multimedia, computerized systems, line and wireless telecommunication, design and development of systems and devices, including electro-optic radar systems. He is the founder and CEO of Magna B.S.P., Foresight's major shareholder and a leading innovator in the field of homeland security surveillance solutions.

Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX)

Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) is a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing potentially life-changing technologies for cancer patients based upon a unique proprietary technology platform, including Genprex’s initial product candidate, Oncoprex™ immunogene therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Genprex’s platform technologies are designed to administer cancer-fighting genes by encapsulating them into nanoscale hollow spheres called nanovesicles, which are then administered intravenously and taken up by tumor cells where they express proteins that are missing or found in low quantities.

Research and Development

Genprex holds a portfolio of 30 issued and two pending patents covering its technologies and targeted molecular therapies. The company’s research and development program is focused on identifying and developing leading-edge gene therapies that can be used alone or in combination with other therapies for treatment of cancer.

Genprex’s initial product candidate is Oncoprex™, an immunogene therapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Oncoprex works by interrupting cell signaling pathways that cause replication and proliferation of cancer cells, re-establishes pathways for apoptosis (or programmed cell death) in cancer cells, and modulates the immune response against cancer cells. Oncoprex has also been shown to block mechanisms that create drug resistance.

Preclinical research is being conducted with the goal of developing Oncoprex to be administered with targeted therapies in other solid tumors, and with immunotherapies in NSCLC and other solid tumors. In addition, Genprex has conducted and plans to continue research into other tumor suppressor genes associated with chromosome 3p21.3, as well as other potential applications of the company’s immunogene therapy platform.

Clinical Trials

Genprex is currently conducting the second phase of a phase I/II clinical trial at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The company plans to expand its clinical program by adding a new clinical study evaluating Oncoprex™ in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor for treatment of Stage IV or recurrent NSCLC. In research presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in Washington, D.C., Genprex’s collaborators showed that TUSC2 in combination with PD-1 checkpoint inhibition has a significantly greater anti-tumor effect in lung cancer than either agent alone. The research also shows that TUSC2 in combination with PD-1 blockade has synergistic activity in upregulating natural killer (NK) cells, correlating with prolonged survival in mice.

TUSC2 (Tumor Suppressor Candidate 2) is a tumor suppressor gene that is absent or deficient in cancer cells of many different cancer types.

The Market

Genprex technologies seek to bridge a critical gap by combining with targeted therapies and immunotherapies to provide treatments to large patient populations who would otherwise not be candidates for those therapies or who have become resistant to them. Genprex technologies are being developed to overcome genomic limitations which are inherent in targeted therapies and immunotherapies in order to provide new treatment solutions to large cancer populations, such as those with lung cancer.

Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for about 85 percent of all lung cancers, according to the American Cancer Society (“ACS”). Despite radical advances in drug development and novel therapeutic standards, survival for late stage lung cancer has not improved significantly in the past 25 years.

Senior Management

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J. Rodney Varner, JD, is a co-founder of Genprex and has served in these roles since August 2012. He has more than 35 years of legal experience with large and small law firms and as outside general counsel of a Nasdaq-listed company. Varner has served as counsel in company formation, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, other business transactions, protection of trade secrets and other intellectual property, real estate, and business litigation. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Court and the U.S. Tax Court.

Julien L. Pham, M.D., MPH, is president and chief operating officer of Genprex. In March 2013, Dr. Pham co-founded RubiconMD, a healthcare IT company that connects primary care providers to specialists for additional guidance and opinions on medical cases and served as its chief medical officer. He has served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is a board-certified internal medicine doctor and nephrologist.

Ryan M. Confer, MS, has served as Genprex chief financial officer since September 2016. Confer has more than 10 years of executive experience in planning, launching, developing, and growing emerging technology companies and has served in the chief operating and chief financial roles for non-profit and for-profit entities since 2008. Confer has also served as an international business development consultant for the University of Texas at Austin’s IC2 Institute, where he focused on evaluating the commercialization potential of nascent technologies in domestic and international markets applicable to technology incubator programs associated with the University. Confer holds a BS in finance and legal studies from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and an MS in technology commercialization from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jan Stevens, RN, is vice president of Clinical Operations. Stevens has nearly 20 years of comprehensive clinical operations experience in the biopharma industry and a specialization in early-to-late stage oncology companies. Stevens joined the company to help support the various clinical development programs for Oncoprex™.

Geyser Brands Inc. (TSX.V: GYSR)

Geyser Brands Inc. (TSX.V: GYSR) is a consumer healthcare company that builds and markets some of the world's most loved cannabis products and brands in the nutraceutical, cosmetics, food and beverage and pet sectors. Using its proprietary nanotechnology formulation, the company delivers creams, beverages, baked goods and tincture formulations with superior bioavailability and water solubility.

NanoFusion Technology

The efficacy of most hemp products is restricted as the insoluble nature of the molecules prevents most of the product from permeating the skin or entering the body system. Geyser Brands solves this insolubility problem with an advanced delivery system that quickly and efficiently transports therapeutic agents directly to the bloodstream for maximum absorbency.

Made with all-natural materials, NanoFusion technology offers an array of advantages: enhances penetration for deeper skin penetration; improves the transport of active ingredients for site-specific targeting; delivers active ingredients across cell membranes for release within the cell; provides longer shelf-life and stability of molecules.

Operations

Geyser Brands operates a 7,000-square-foot facility in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, where its initial cannabis cultivation generated the first revenues out of the company's cultivation license granted in October 2018. Geyser Brands is approved as a licensed producer in compliance with Health Canada standards, which allows the company to pursue its processing and sales license. Obtaining this license will enable the company to extend its products and brands into the regulated Canadian cannabis market and directly to the consumer medical market.

Geyser Brands's integrated production chain and formulation lab develops innovative products using high-quality hemp and CBD for healthy lifestyle brands while its R&D lab produces product formulations designed to enhance bio-availability of hemp and CBD and shelf stability while maintaining all-natural ingredients and ensuring premium quality.

Geyser Brands will continue to seek opportunities to invest into the research and development of unique high-quality proprietary strains and technologies that target specific health-related conditions such as pain and inflammation reduction, insomnia, digestive issues and other commonly known ailments.

Growing Portfolio

Among the brand formulations in Geyser Brand's portfolio are:

  • Apothecary all-natural Hemp Terpene Pain Cream with optimal skin permeation
  • Prohibition Cold Brew Mocha designed with water soluble hemp molecules
  • Apothecary health products created to deliver fast-acting and high bioavailability in a spray formulation
  • Baked hemp infused pet products, designed to alleviate anxiety and pain, created with NanoFusion for dosage control

Management Team

Since 2014, Geyser Brands' CEO and Co-Founder Andreas Thatcher has been a principal at Rhizome Group, an entertainment company focused on building media IP through creative and market development. He previously was a founding partner at Rhizome Capital LLC, a U.S.-based media investment company specializing in marketing and distribution financing, and worked in the Investment Banking industry in London and Toronto. Thatcher holds a master's degree in economics.

CFO Barry McKnight obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Management Accountant registered in British Columbia. McKnight has over 20 years of experience as the principal of Barry D. McKnight Inc. He formerly was also a director of Indigo Sky Capital Corp. and has been the CFO and a director of the Company since 2016 and Corporate Secretary of the Company since 2017.

Geyser Brands's Co-Founder Brad Kersch brings a strong business background with over 20 years of experience in successful startups and working with Fortune 500 companies. He spent his early years in the advertising and marketing field and went on to form Hyperware, a clothing company that sold branded clothing to retailers across Canada before selling to clothing giant Ocean Pacific (OP). Kersch became the president of Shoreline Studios, Canada's largest and oldest studio for film and TV. In 2014 he started Solace Management Group, a hemp product company focused on pet, cosmeceutical, and nutraceutical markets. As of February 2019, Geyser Brands signed a non-binding LOI to acquire Solace Management. Upon completing the proposed Solace acquisition, Geyser Brands intends to launch into the execution phase of its plan — to take its brands global through retail and digital direct-to-consumer experiences, launching its hemp-infused cannabis brands and products in the U.S., European Union, and Asia, and its CBD-infused line of products in jurisdictions where the therapeutic ingredient is legal.

Kuldip Gill, head of Geyser Brands' R&D program, has more than 35 years of experience in the cannabis industry. Gill built the largest manufacturing facility in the lower mainland in Surrey, British Columbia, complete with R&D, analytical and quality control labs approved by both the FDA and Health Canada. He has to date created over 3,500 formulas, most notably Lakota pain relief gel. Gill's experience and proven track record is evident in the strongly marketable formulations he has developed and sold worldwide.

Golden Developing Solutions, Inc. (DVLP)

Golden Developing Solutions, Inc. (DVLP), an emerging leader in ancillary software and the cannabidiol (CBD) products marketplace, provides business services and/or products supporting the cannabis industry including an online retail business for CBD, hemp oil and health/wellness related products.

Global acceptance of cannabis and related CBD products continues to increase as North America advances toward favorable legislation. Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, and the United States has 30 states and the District of Columbia allowing either recreational or medical cannabis, or both. Voters in four additional U.S. states will consider marijuana initiatives on the November 2018 ballot. The global legal cannabis market is projected to reach USD$146 billion by the end of 2025, with a greater acceptance of medical cannabis products as a driving factor, according to Grand View Research.

DVLP is taking advantage of consumer demand for CBD products through its wholly owned Pura Vida Vitamins, LLC subsidiary, which recently launched a direct-to-consumer website (www.PuraVidaVitamins.com) and commenced sales of Pura Vida branded products. Pura Vida merchandise includes hemp and CBD-related products and other products focusing on health and lifestyle which are available through established wholesale and distribution channels. In addition, a line of CBD pet supplements and other products are in development.

DVLP recently acquired "Where's Weed" (Layer Six Media LLC DBA "Where's Weed") and its primary asset, WheresWeed.com. Where's Weed is an American cannabis technology company known for connecting medical and recreational cannabis users with trusted local marijuana businesses in their communities. As a rapidly growing community-based online resource for cannabis consumers with a host of user-friendly services, Where's Weed offers a sophisticated mobile app with strong traction and powerful growth potential as the North American legal cannabis market continues to expand exponentially.

WheresWeed.com has a large and expanding reach with nearly 3 million pageviews per month. In addition, the WheresWeed mobile app, available in both iOS and Android, has been downloaded over 80,000 times, proving to be complementary to DVLP's objective to capitalize on the massive growth curve in the marijuana space.

"The huge flood of new growers and producers is likely to create oversupply in the near term, narrowing margins for major producers," says DVLP CEO Stavros Triant. "However, this should actually increase the net number of new consumers in the marketplace, further reinforcing the enormous growth potential for hub service providers in the space that are situated on high-traffic internet real estate, which is exactly how we view the Where's Weed property."

The company's move into the lucrative C-store snack market was solidified with a material purchase order for CBD oils from a major distributor specializing in the snack foods and accessories to the convenience store and gas station market. The order represents significant progress as DVLP gears up its ready-made snack distribution strategy for its CBD products.

"We are extremely excited about the launch of our CBD product line with this distributor," Triant states. "The C-Store strategy dovetails perfectly with our direct marketing strategy through our primary online retail channel, and we have indications from the distributor that, if this initial test order goes well, successive Purchase Orders could be significant and underpin strong sales growth in Q1 2019."

Green Growth Brands Inc. (CSE: GGB) (OTCQB: GGBXF)

Green Growth Brands Inc. (GGBXF), is a lifestyle-oriented cannabis and cannabidiol (“CBD”) consumer products company with a portfolio of lifestyle brands customized to connect specific, like-minded customers. Each Green Growth Brand provides the best quality products within a retail experience that appeals to users in an environment that is emotionally branded and easy to navigate.

In the next five years, the cannabis industry will generate more than $28 billion of new revenue from an estimated 14 million new customers, according to Ackrell Capital’s 2018 Cannabis Investment Report. Meanwhile, Hemp Business Journal projects that the CBD market will increase 8x to $3 billion by 2021, up from $200 million in 2017. Green Growth Brand intends to dominate in these markets with a lineup up products grown, manufactured and presented with the highest quality standards in mind.

Products under the Green Growth Brand umbrella include:

  • CAMP: A kiosk-type store where consumers can experience beautifully crafted lifestyle products that enhance one’s journey to self-discovery.
  • Seventh Sense: A CBD-infused body care collection crafted from the finest botanicals and fragrances on earth. Created to maximize the properties and aromatics of each ingredient, Seventh Sense natural products are CBD-infused botanical therapy.
  • Meri+Jayne: Fiercely authentic and wholly unapologetic, Meri+Jayne is a youthful, full-on celebration of what makes each person unique. Expect the unexpected when it comes to this mix of amazing products.
  • Green Lily: A place for women to explore a new world of wellness. With advice on every product, from efficacy to usage, Green Lily guides guests through beautiful new ways to experience cannabis and CBD.
  • The +Source: Located in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada, The+Source dispensaries operated by Green Growth Brands serve both medical patients and retail customers. Green Growth Brands also operates a grow and production facility in Post, Nevada, and recently entered into definitive agreements to acquire a Pahrump, Nevada, cultivation facility.
  • XanthicBiopharms is the owner of valuable intellectual property that turns THC(Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD into a water-soluble substance. As a result of combining Green Growth Brands and Xanthic, this technology is being used to create incredible new products.

Business Strategy

Green Growth Brands has identified numeroushitches in the current cannabis retail space. The company intends to counter these challenges and provide a customer experience ripe with a friendly staff, in-stock assortments, efficient operations and more. The company’s retail partners provide distribution opportunities within 4,000 stores, as well as robust and established digital platforms to best reach the modern consumer.

Management

Green Growth Brands brings together a collection of expert retailers, scientists, botanists, developers, artists and business leaders for the benefit of building community. Led by an executive management team steeped in decades of experience with several of America’s most successful brands, including Victoria’s Secret, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath & Body Works, Limited Brands and Designer Shoe Warehouse, Green Growth Brands is uniquely positioned to create memorable brands, retail experiences, and quality products for the emerging cannabis industry.

Chief Executive Officer Peter Horvath heads strategy and execution across all company channels, and previously took shoe retailer DSW public on the NYSE at $1.5 billion. As a dynamic, creative brand leader, team builder, and specialty retail veteran with deep roots in finance, Horvath’s unique ability to understand the big picture while never missing the subtle details is a critical factor in Green Growth Brands’ success and brand popularity among customers.

Chief Marketing Officer Scott Razek is a brand strategist, storyteller and strategic marketer. Razek‘s 25 years of experience in brand building, product development and customer experience focus are a key differentiator for the Green Growth Brands portfolio.

CAO Ed Kistner brings 33 years of multifaceted experience at leading retail businesses, notably in finance, merchandise planning, operations and stores. His well-rounded experiences in fast-changing environments position Kistner to be the architect of the operational execution at Green Growth Brands.

CSO Kellie Wurtzman brings significant retail leadership to Green Growth Brands with a proven track record of leading high-performance stores and teams across multiple retail sectors. Her unmatched experience in identifying and supporting developing business opportunities is ideal for evolving the cannabis industry and will be instrumental in expanding operations at Green Growth Brands.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Green Growth Brands is traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange and on the OTCQB, providing investors with increased access to data, transparency and liquidity.

Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (GRYN)

Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (GRYN) is a full-scope, premium cannabis cultivation company targeting the high-end medical and adult-use recreational market. With more than 25 years of experience in agricultural science and innovation, Green Hygienics is establishing itself as a leader in the advancement of science-driven cannabis cultivation systems. The company will grow by generating revenues from the sales of premium grade cannabis products, developing and licensing valuable IP, making strategic acquisitions, and creating trusted global consumer brands.

The company has integrated and is developing its own IP assets related to proprietary systems and apparatus, software, algorithms and custom-engineered hardware. This provides ultimate efficiencies in a commercially controlled cultivation environment. Utilizing the advantages of hybrid-aeroponics, Green Hygienics creates a sterile growing environment that produces consistent, high-quality product while maintaining the lowest possible carbon footprint. The company utilizes state-of-the-art, quality-controlled commercial cultivation methodology to assure production of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis at much higher yields and greatly reduced costs.

Hybrid-aeroponics produces quality cannabis faster than traditional methods since it doesn't require natural sunlight or soil and can be operational and produce plants anywhere. Plants grown under aeroponic conditions receive water and nutrients directly to their roots via a fine mist in a controlled environment, dramatically reducing spoilage while keeping the product organic and the environment pest-free. The plants are given the exact amount of nutrients and moisture precisely when needed. Green Hygienics maintains ultimate control over every aspect of this cultivation process, which allows the company to operate with conservation of natural resources in mind. The technology that uses 90-95 percent less water and does not require the use of pesticides or fungicides.

Additionally, the company's state-of-the-art engineered, controlled environments include electrical, mechanical and HVAC designs that meet mandatory fire and energy codes while improving energy efficiency significantly.

Through these practices, Green Hygienics is establishing itself as a leader in the advancement of science-driven cannabis cultivation systems. The company continues to develop and incubate software as well as engineer hardware to provide additional control over the commercial cultivation method. The company's science-based approach reveals any growth anomalies before the human eye can see them. This makes it possible to monitor all facets of production, identify cultivation problems based upon scientific data, and implement immediate corrective action, if needed.

The future of commercial cannabis cultivation hinges on using science to control the growing environment in order to remain competitive and deliver a premium grade of product on a consistent basis. The company holds a competitive advantage through its ability to produce premium cannabis products at a significantly lower cost per gram than direct competitors and others in the cannabis industry.

Innovations within the sector that create efficiencies and successful brands will become highly valued. Green Hygienics and its forward-thinking management team are constantly studying the market dynamics of the cannabis industry in North America and abroad while actively pursuing possible expansion opportunities. The company is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada and establishing operations in San Diego, California, targeting the $5 billion California cannabis market.

Hemptown USA

Hemptown USA, headquartered in Central Point, Oregon, is a proven grower of full-spectrum feminized hemp grown using premium seed genetics that contain less than 0.3% THC and exceptionally high cannabinoid (CBD) content of up to 20%. The company's "soil to oil" methodology combines seasoned professionals working in hand-picked agricultural microclimates located in Oregon's famed Emerald Triangle, Kentucky and Colorado.

Hemptown has rights to 1 million rare CBG (cannabigerol) seeds genetically programmed to yield from 15% to 20% full-spectrum non-intoxicating cannabinoids. Hemptown is positioned to be a leading CBG producer in the U.S. in 2019 and beyond.

In 2018, Hemptown's harvest from its Oregon hemp farm was 110,000 pounds of full-spectrum biomass with CBD content hovering around 17%. 2018 harvest revenue is expected to range from $8.1 million to $12.6 million. The company is scaling up operations in 2019 to meet market demand and projects it will reap over 1 million pounds. By 2020, Hemptown projects that potential revenues in the $100 million to $200 million range are possible once additional farming operations are at full strength.

Growth Strategy

By 2020, Hemptown anticipates it will have more than 2,500 acres in several states dedicated to hemp farming. Expansion plans include increasing in-house extraction capabilities to boost profit margins by providing additional CBD and CBG isolates and distillation services. Due to its anticipated scale, Hemptown is positioning itself as a low-cost producer as it establishes business-to-business partners in the packaged goods space. New products and formulations for the direct-to-consumer market, along with several strategic acquisitions, are also key to Hemptown's growth strategy.

Hemptown plans to expand distribution and growing operations globally through strategic partnerships and development of contracts with leading Fortune 500 brands in European markets. The company intends to grow its IP portfolio by developing water-soluble cannabinoid delivery system. Not to be confused with water-compatibility, water-soluble cannabinoids combine seamlessly with other liquids, have a superior shelf life, and deliver dramatically increased efficacy to the consumer.

Branded Products

Hemptown's first in-house branded product line combines the inspiring strength found in the unbridled nature that surrounds the company's original hemp farm in the Siskiyou Klamath region of Oregon. Siskū is set to redefine the cannabinoid packaged goods space with an elegant look, clean feel and potent, reliable efficacy.

Custom product lines can also be created for any product manufacturer as Hemptown brings GMP and ISO accredited processing facilities online in 2019. Together with Oregon CBD Seeds and Hemptown's product sciences team, Hemptown will be able to create custom, proprietary full-spectrum CBD and CBG oils and pure isolates.

Management Team

Company Chairman Rod Wolterman founded Hemptown's Oregon operations in 2016. He has extensive experience in the cannabis sector having been active within the space since 1998. Wolterman has also acted as a private equity investor in numerous medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation operations in southern California.

CEO John Cummings has over 20 years of experience in finance, marketing, sales and project management. He led the compliance and special projects efforts for Kings Garden, one of the largest vertically integrated operators in California. Cummings also spent a year in Europe launching the continent's first GMP and ISO-accredited cultivation and manufacturing facility.

Dr. Gordon Chiu is chief science officer for Hemptown. He has more than 15 years of combined domestic and international experience in biomedical, chemical, cosmetic, medical and technology industries. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a master's degree from Seton Hall University, Chiu is leading Hemptown's cannabinoid research team and is responsible for filing IP patents, specifically in the areas of water-solubility, bioavailability and peptide sequencing.

INmune Bio Inc. (NASDAQ: INMB)

INmune Bio Inc. (NASDAQ: INMB) is a diversified clinical-stage immunology company developing novel therapies that target distinct parts of a patient’s innate immune system to fight disease. Drug candidates INKmune™ and INB03 may be used to treat cancer while XPro1595 targets neuroinflammation as a cause of Alzheimer’s disease. INmune Bio’s product platforms utilize a precision therapy approach to promote the body’s innate immune response to treat unsolved problems in medicine.

INmune Bio is the first biotechnology company to close an initial public offering (IPO) in 2019 and commence trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market. The company also received a “Part the Cloud” award from the Alzheimer’s Association in 2018 which included a $1 million grant to advance INmune Bio’s XPro1595 drug candidate.

INmune Bio’s product pipeline targets three segments of concern:

  • Alzheimer’s disease/dementia claims 5.5 million patients in the United States. INmune Bio views Alzheimer’s as an immunologic disease which changes the drug discovery process, changes the way clinical trials are designed, and may provide hope for patients and caregivers.
  • Cancer residual disease which is expected to generate more than 1.7 million new cases yearly with an estimated 609,640 fatalities. INMB believe that converting resting Natural Killer (“NK”) cells to primed NK cells, which kill cancerous cells on contact, is an important therapeutic strategy to help clear residual disease.
  • Resistance to immunotherapy. By preventing the proliferation and function of cells that resist immunotherapy, patients should have a stronger immune response to cancer cells and may respond better to other cancer treatments including immunotherapy and live longer.

INmune Bio Drug Candidates and Clinical Programs

INKmune is a biologic delivery system that primes a patient’s resting NK cells to kill cancer. INKmune targets residual disease for patients that have completed initial cancer therapy (surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy) and have a low burden of disease with a high risk of relapse.

In late 2019, INKmune will start enrolling patients in a phase I/II trial for women with relapsed refractory ovarian cancer. In many patients, cancer relapse after seemingly effective cancer therapy is due to a failure of the patients own NK cells to eliminate minimal residual disease (“MRD”).

Using a novel mechanism of action and a precision medicine approach, INKmune therapy should enhance NK cells’ ability to eliminate residual disease.

INB03 is a checkpoint inhibitor that targets myeloid derived suppressor cells (“MDSC”) which can produce an immunosuppressive shield that prevents a patient’s own immune system from attacking the cancer. INmune Bio is currently completing a monotherapy INB03 phase I trial in patients with advanced solid tumors. The INB03 program will transition into a combination therapy clinical program in the summer of 2019 to prepare for a phase II trial in patients resistant to checkpoint inhibitors due to increased MDSC.

Treatment with INB03 should eliminate MDSC in the tumor microenvironment to allow checkpoint inhibitors to be therapeutically effective.

XPro1595 targets the microglial immune cells of the brain that are activated in many Alzheimer’s disease patients. These microglial cells are a cause of neuroinflammation that can kill nerve cells and promote synaptic dysfunction – the cause of dementia in Alzheimer’s.

The three-month, phase I trial is expected to enroll 18 patients in summer of 2019. It is designed to measure traditional and novel biomarkers of inflammation in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease who have neuroinflammation. The trial is supported by a $1 million “Part the Cloud” grant from the Alzheimer’s Association. Inflammation, especially chronic inflammation, is being recognized as an important part of the pathology of many diseases including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Management

Dr. RJ Tesi, M.D., INmune Bio co-founder, CEO and acting chief medical officer, has been a licensed physician since 1982 and a Fellow of the American College of Surgery since 1991. He received his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in 1982 and has served many roles in several development-stage biotech companies focused on treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, hematologic malignancies, and other inflammatory diseases.

CFO David J. Moss co-founder, has been with the company since its formation in September 2015. He holds an MBA from Rice University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego. Moss has founded, funded and taken public various companies in a variety of industries since 1995.

Mark Lowdell, Ph.D. co-founder, has served as the chief scientific officer and chief manufacturing officer at INmune Bio since the company’s formation. He is a professor of cell and tissue therapy at University College London where he has led a translational immunotherapy group since 1994. He has also been a director of cellular therapy at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. He received his Ph.D. in clinical immunology from London Hospital Medical College, University of London in 1992 and is a qualified immunopathologist.

Christopher J. Barnum is director of neuroscience at INmune Bio. Barnum is a neuroimmunologist with broad expertise across neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases holding multiple positions in academic and industry. His focus has been on translating inflammatory therapies into clinical treatments for neurologic diseases using a biomarker-directed approach. Barnum’s research has been supported by the NIH, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the Alzheimer’s Association. He received his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Binghamton University.

IONIC Brands Corp. (CSE: IONC) (OTC: ZRRRF)

IONIC Brands Corp. (CSE: IONC) (OTC: ZRRRF) is a national cannabis holding company building a multistate portfolio of award-winning premium and luxury brands in the cannabis space. Established in 2015, IONIC Brands has demonstrated its ability to expand and operate multiple cannabis concentrate consumer brands in markets across the western United States. The company continues to strategically expand nationwide to remain a leader of the highest-value segments in the cannabis market.

With a focus on quality, responsibility and respectability, IONIC's product lines are pioneering the changing landscape of cannabis consumption. The company's refinement practices are a result of a passionate commitment to craft the finest, small-batch cannabis oils and cannabis concentrates in the world – without glycols, glycerins or additives.

IONIC's Certified Clean program verifies that every product leaving the company's facilities meets or exceeds state mandates on pesticide testing. The testing is conducted by individually testing every batch which ensures and enhances trust and transparency. IONIC recently paired its Certified Clean program with Lucid Green Inc. and its revolutionary technology platform designed to provide vital safety information. Lucid Green's technology provides a direct-to-consumer data platform, providing instant access to a library of product specific insights by simply scanning the package's QR code with a smartphone camera.

Elite Brand Portfolio/Acquisitions

  • IONIC, the company's flagship recreational branded product, is a stylish and sophisticated premium vape pen line that has earned customer loyalty and a reputation as a consistent Top 10 vape brand in Washington state. IONIC's immediate product line expansion plans include THC/CBD mixes, low-dose products, high-end edibles, CASK oil and device innovation.
  • WW Agriculture cultivates cannabis outdoors on a 140-acre eastern Washington State farm capable of producing up to 100,000 pounds of cannabis for less than $0.10/gram.
  • ZOOTS, a Washington-based edibles company, utilizes patent-protected ultra-clean CO2 extraction hardware to create proprietary formulations of refined cannabis oils and distillates. Through MedMen dispensaries, Zoots Edibles are currently available in Washington and Colorado and will soon be on shelves at dispensaries in Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.
  • Vuber Technologies hardware produces the best vaporization experience on the market.
  • Vegas M Stick vaporizer pens are distributed to stores in Washington State with plans to expand to Oregon and Nevada.
  • Vegas Valley Growers is a revenue-generating, vertically integrated operation in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a full complement of production, manufacturing and distribution licenses.

IONIC has also acquired two U.S. patents issued to Canna Café that are related to cannabinoid (CBD) infused coffee and CBD-infused coffee in a Keurig ® K-Cup ® Pod. An international patent is in process for cannabis-infused teas.

Experienced Management Team

IONIC Brands is led by an innovative product team, powerful sales organization and a world-class marketing group.

Chairman & CEO John Gorst has built and sold four different technology companies with market valuations in excess of $600 million. Gorst has been at the forefront of IONIC's expansion and development into Washington state's leading vaporizer brand.

Andrew Schell, President, Vice-Chairman & Co-Founder, has built several successful companies. Schell has an engineering background rounded in operations, strategy and corporate law, and most recently was CEO of a U.S. Department of Defense company specializing in military operations.

Christian Struzan, Chief Marketing Officer & Co-Founder, has over 30 years of experience in marketing and branding in the entertainment and consumer goods industries. Struzan founded an advertising agency which developed and executed marketing campaigns for feature films such as the Star Wars franchise, Fight Club, and the television series American Idol. He has also worked on global brands such as Guinness, Stella Artois and Beck's.

Johnny Stange, Chief Revenue Officer, was formerly a director of sales for the southern California region for Treasury Wine Estates, a major wine wholesaler, where he grew and oversaw annual sales of $250 million. Stange is leading the charge in IONIC's aggressive sales growth plans across multiple states.

In 2018, IONIC was voted one of the "Top 50 Companies to Work for in Cannabis" by MG Magazine, a publication serving cannabis industry professionals.

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTC: LXRP)

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTC: LXRP) has developed and out-licenses its proprietary technology for improved taste, rapidity, and delivery of bioactive compounds, including cannabinoids. Though boasting a wide range of health benefits, cannabinoids are traditionally poorly absorbed by the body's gastrointestinal tract. To achieve higher effectiveness, consumers usually default to smoking. Lexaria provides a superior administration method by delivering hemp oil ingredients – or through locally licensed partners, cannabis oil ingredients – through a patented process within food products.

The key differentiator between Lexaria's products and others on the market is the company's disruptive technology proven to enhance the absorption of orally ingested cannabinoids while improving the "unusual" taste of cannabinoids and allowing for lower overall dosing with higher efficacy. Lexaria is primarily a B2B enterprise, and is in licensing discussions or has existing agreements with companies in Canada, the largest-market states in the USA, and internationally. Lexaria has also developed its own brands partly for demonstration purposes, utilizing its patented technology to infuse hemp oil ingredients within lipids in popular foods. These brands include ViPova™, Lexaria Energy Foods, and TurboCBD™.

In 2015, Lexaria commissioned an independent, third-party lab to test its technology under carefully monitored in vitro conditions. Results showed that the company's technological process and lipid formulation both improve intestinal absorption as much as 500%. Additional follow-up studies in human volunteers suggested that Lexaria's processed, lipid-infused tea may be more effective in an actual gastrointestinal system than in an in vitro simulation with results indicating as much as a 1,000% increase in overall absorption.

Lexaria also has an R&D partnership with the Canadian government's National Research Council. That R&D is expected to characterize molecular bond formation theorized to occur with Lexaria's unique technology between the lipid delivery agents and the bioactive substances it processes and combines. Results from this R&D are expected to support accelerating B2B relationships – not just in the cannabis industry, but also to support new B2B business relationships in the fields of vitamins, NSAIDs, and nicotine delivery. All of these sectors expected to offer additional future growth potential.

Aside from testing, a critical component of Lexaria Bioscience's business model is a strong intellectual property portfolio that utilizes the most commonly used food processing techniques. As of 2017, the company's patent portfolio includes 19 patent applications filed and pending in more than 40 countries around the world. The most recent patent applications expand Lexaria's lipophilic food and beverage composition claims to include the processing of cannabinoids, vitamins, NSAIDs and nicotine in many of the world's most commonly used food processing ingredients. Lexaria is expecting additional new patent awards both in the USA and internationally in 2017 and 2018.

Royalties play a vital role in Lexaria's revenue-generating business model. The company out-licenses its technology (royalty) to third party partners, and has several deals signed and/or pending. The company's growth initiatives are guided by a management team headed by CEO Chris Bunka, a serial entrepreneur who has raised more than $50 million in working capital for the companies he has led over the course of his career. He is supported by a team of professionals with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and bioscience sectors, invention, toxicology, consumer goods, and other relevant skillsets.

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (MCOA)

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (MCOA) (the "Company") are pioneers in the cannabis industry going back to 2009 when Don Steinberg, MCOA's CEO, founded the first marijuana company ever to trade on a U.S. stock market, Medical Marijuana Inc. Since then, Don and his partner, Charlie Larsen, have formed Global Hemp Group and Marijuana Company of America. They have experienced the shift of legislation first hand, not only for the legalization of marijuana but also the emerging hemp-based CBD products.

The CBD market is growing exponentially and consequently the founders of MCOA have constructed their business model around the development of industrial hemp-based CBD products. The industrial hemp plant can be used to produce products that are carbon neutral or even carbon negative. It is one of the longest, strongest natural fibers on earth, used as a building material that is free of mold, pesticide-resistant, and fire proof. Hemp has also been described as a "super food," which provides additional business opportunities. No part of the plant is left unused and the Company's overall strategy is to take advantage of every profit center from farm to the multiple valuable finished products.

The cannabis and hemp industries are experiencing unprecedented growth that is expected to continue for many years as these industries are now accepted globally and continue to mature and expand. North American consumers spent $6.7 billion on legal cannabis products in 2016, up 34% from 2015's $5 billion. This trend is widely expected to explode at a 27% compounded annual growth rate to reach $22.6 billion by 2021, according to ArcView Market Research.

The company offers investors the opportunity to be on the forefront of cannabis and hemp innovation through cultivation, processing in the legal cannabis and industrial hemp sectors. The Company's business model includes producing a diverse portfolio of synergistic business segments that provide value to its shareholders. Its vertically integrated business model and distribution platforms are positioned to capture market share by developing recognizable and valuable brands.

Under the MCOA umbrella, wholly owned subsidiary hempSMART™, Inc. is committed to bringing high quality CBD-based products to the market through its affiliate marketing program. Through hempSMART, MCOA's strategic approach to the distribution of products is through a networking architecture geared to maintain customer loyalty and capture market share. The patent-pending product "hempSMART Brain," is designed to revolutionize the safe and effective support of healthy brain function. The brand new product, HempSMART DROPS, is a full-spectrum CBD tincture formulated with hemp and fractionated coconut oils. The hempSMART marketing team has decades of experience, and is well positioned to take the hempSMART brand to a global audience.

MustGrow Biologics Corp.

MustGrow Biologics Corp. is an agricultural biotech company focused on developing and commercializing its patented technology that is a natural biopesticide and biofertilizer for use as a fertilizer, nematicide, pesticide and fungicide. MustGrow’s novel and proprietary solutions utilize organic components refined from mustard seed to provide high quality, organic pest control to growers facing challenges associated with soil-borne diseases and pests such as nematodes. The company’s technology provides an all-natural, effective, safe and easy-to-use solution for farmers seeking to raise healthy crops without the use of pesticides.

Nematodes, or microscopic worms, are the most numerous multicellular animals on earth. A handful of soil will contain thousands of nematodes, many of which are parasites of insects, plants or animals. Most plant-parasitic nematodes feed on the roots of plants, damaging the root system and reducing the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients (http://nnw.fm/Qkz21). For the past 50 years, nematodes have been controlled using chemical nematicides, but the Environmental Protection Agency now restricts or bans many of the chemical formulations.

MustGrow’s technologies provide nematode control that is equal and often superior to synthetic alternatives, resulting in elevated yields and increased returns for the grower. The global economic impact of soil-borne nematodes is estimated at nearly $100 billion in lost crops per year. The American Phytopathological Society (http://nnw.fm/3HGuT), an international nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to the study and control of plant diseases, estimates that plant-pathogenic nematodes are responsible for 14 percent of crop losses worldwide.

MustGrow’s technology refines mustard seeds to concentrate the plant’s natural organic compounds that form Allyl isothiocyanate (“AITC”), which serves the plant as a natural defense system against pests and diseases. As a result, MustGrow’s novel product offers first-class performance, is 100 percent natural, and its fertilizer product is listed for organic use by the Organic Materials Review Institute (“OMRI”) under specifications set by the USDA’s National Organic Program.

MustGrow’s initial technology was a granular pre-plant soil biofumigant and biofertilizer containing the active ingredient AITC, a proven nematicide, fungicide and fertilizer. The company has completed 110 independent third-party field trials on fruit and vegetable crops. As a biofertilizer, MustGrow’s product is registered with Health Canada and the EPA in all U.S. states as OMRI-certified. It is also registered for use as a biopesticide by the EPA in key fruit and vegetable growing U.S. states (except California) and with Health Canada. MustGrow is finalizing a new liquid delivery platform with increased concentration of the same active ingredient (AITC) that can be applied through drip lines to meet the demands of today’s growers.

Results of tests completed to date show that MustGrow continues to provide innovative solutions with broad based applications within agriculture. Validated field trial results include:

  • 100 percent control of root-knot nematodes in strawberry crops as compared to methyl bromide
  • 55 percent tomato crop yield increase
  • 95 percent control of Pythium root rot in lettuce fields
  • 70 percent reduction in Verticillium root severity in cucumbers
  • Market Opportunity

Market Opportunity  

MustGrow is also testing the potential application of its technology to the cannabis industry, which is projected to grow to nearly $22 billion in the U.S. by 2020. While there are no uniform guidelines for pesticide use in the cannabis industry, state-by-state regulations in the U.S. do exist which has led to instances of pesticide-tainted cannabis showing up in tested products, leading to recalls and threats of lawsuits. Health Canada recently published regulations for mandatory testing for pesticides in cannabis that are now in effect for all growers. MustGrow’s potential application for cannabis production shows that when its product is used as a pre-plant/pot soil treatment, it may significantly help control many soil-borne diseases, pathogens and pests, including nematodes, fusarium, rhizoctonia, and botrytis (gray mold) that affect the cannabis plant. Cannabis consumers are increasingly demanding organic products free from chemicals and have shown they are willing to pay a premium for high-quality organic cannabis. MustGrow is currently running cannabis soil trials and is seeking Health Canada approval for use of its product on cannabis. 

Global crop protection is a multibillion-dollar market that is expected to surge over the next five years. Sales of nematicides are set to grow by 33 percent to $1.43 billion by 2022, while biopesticides are projected to leap by 94 percent to an estimated $9.5 billion by 2022. MustGrow is targeting the global nematicide industry with products that include an innovative pre-plant soil treatment. Solutions for the global biopesticide industry include seed treatment technologies, fungicides and nematicides.  

MustGrow’s groundbreaking technologies use novel plant compounds to provide superior crop protection naturally.

Management Team

President and CEO Corey Giasson is an entrepreneur with more than 20 years in the agriculture, potash, oil and gas, mining and real estate industries.  Mr. Giasson co-founded Rallyemont Energy Inc., a heavy oil company that successfully identified 140 million barrels of recoverable heavy oil, that was sold in 2013 to Husky Energy. He holds an MBA and bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Saskatchewan.

Chairman Brad Munro has 20-plus years as a vice president/investments, with a national venture capital firm where he sourced, invested and managed the activity of over 30 companies and invested $150 million. He has served as a director of over 20 public companies and a greater number of private enterprises. Munro is currently director of Secure Energy Services.

COO Colin Betsky is the previous vice president/BioAg at Novozymes, where he was responsible for the company’s BioAg business worldwide. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan and has more than 20 years of experience in agricultural chemicals and biologics.

Director Tom Flow is the founder and current president of The Flowr Corporation (TSX.V: FLWR) and Licensed Producer of cannabis in Canada. He founded and built MedReleaf, Canada’s most profitable Licensed Producer which was later acquired by Aurora Cannabis (TSX: ACB) (NYSE: ACB) for $3.2 billion. Flow is widely recognized for his leadership and expertise in building and operating cannabis cultivation facilities.

Director Matt Kowalski has a tremendous amount of experience in the fruit and vegetable and biologics industries. Under his leadership at Natural Industries, a business focused on biological pest control, the company was awarded five EPA registrations: three biofungicides, a bionematicide, and a bioinsecticide. In November 2012, Kowalski led the strategic sale of Natural Industries to Novozymes BioAg. He is the principal owner of Stronghold Keep Inc., an investment corporation.

CFO Todd Lahti has extensive experience evaluating and managing start-up companies in the biotechnology, agricultural and oil and gas sectors, working directly on financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy, business development, technology transfer and operations set up. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Nabis Holdings (CSE: NAB) (OTC: NABIF) (FRA: 71P)

Nabis Holdings (CSE: NAB) (OTC: NABIF) (FRA: 71P), dba Innovative Properties Inc., is a Canadian investment company pursuing interests in high-quality cash-flow assets in real property, securities, cryptocurrency and all branches of the cannabis sector. The company's focus on strategic revenue generation, EBITDA and growth is enshrined in its moto, "One team. One goal," and is reflected in its name: "Na bis," which is defined as, "repeat performance" or "encore."

Strategy

While the Nabis' targets span numerous industries, the company aims to establish an Anchor Investment Portfolio primarily through the acquisition of majority interests in high quality U.S. cannabis assets and brands that have achieved cash flow. The company will then employ a hands-on approach to assist the investee in implementing standards and consistency to enhance their operations.

Criteria for investment targets are as follows:

  • Positive EBITDA, vertically integrated operators in limited license states with large addressable markets
  • Emphasis on operations that add material EBITDA within 12 months with enhanced access to capital and Nabis' value add approach on operations and brand consistency
  • Identifying proven operators with good expertise to add value to a consolidation strategy
  • Focused on MSOs (Multi-state Operators) with strong brand traction
  • Pharma grade cultivation, extraction, dispensaries and other addressable operations

Current Endeavors

Nabis has completed investments in five Michigan properties with Cannabis provisioning, processing and cultivation licenses. The Company has also entered into binding Letters of Intent ("LOI") to invest in vertically integrated assets in Michigan, Arizona and Washington State. The company's goal is to be invested in four to five additional states in the coming months.

Arizona – LOI to acquire full control of Organica Patient Group Inc. ("OPG") and RDF Management Group. OPG is a fully integrated medical marijuana business licensed under the provisions of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act. Its assets include the Chino Valley MMJ Dispensary and fully established Patient Group, which since 2012 has operated as "Organica Patient Group" in Chino Valley. OPG also operates a 26,000-square-foot indoor cultivation and processing center along with a 56,600-square-foot greenhouse in Prescott Valley; has its own branded products and wholesale operations which includes distribution to more than 25% of the dispensaries in Arizona; and has exclusive manufacturing and licensing agreements with Fire Brand, Gas Extracts and Donuts Concentrate products distributed within Arizona.

Michigan – LOIs to invest in multiple strategically located properties that have or are eligible for municipal approvals for provisioning centers in Michigan. The company is currently evaluating 10 to 15 additional municipally approved locations in Michigan that would substantially increase the company's overall presence in the U.S. cannabis space.

Washington State – LOI to purchase assets from PDT Technologies LLC, including extraction and production equipment and rights to lease the current production facility in Port Townsend, Wash. The LOI includes licensing rights to produce Chong's Choice Brand CO2 Vape Cartridges, one of the leading and most recognizable brands in the cannabis space. Expansion plans include construction of a new ISO designed extraction clean room and GMP lab facility with new, highly specialized equipment with two extraction lines. The facility could produce up to 20,500 kg of cannabis concentrate on an annual basis.

Hivemind Refinery – LOI to invest in a 70% interest of Hivemind Refinery, an established line of CBD-based wellness products in the United States. The investment into Hivemind expands Nabis' investment portfolio to CBD edibles, water, drops, lotions, and other CBD wellness products across the spectrum. Nabis anticipates Hivemind will be a premium consumer CBD line to be distributed across the U.S. and Canada and will focus on products utilizing locally grown, premium CBD along with unique formulations and delivery systems.

Bloombox – binding term sheet with Momentum Ideas Co. to acquire certain assets used and marketed under the brand "Bloombox," a leading intelligent retail cannabis software platform that includes the Bloombox Software and data platform. The acquisition of Bloombox will create a dominating presence in the U.S. cannabis market, featuring an integrated ecosystem of modern, next-generation cannabis technology. Bloombox is one of the world's first standards-based cannabis software systems, enabling frictionless integration with nearly any business system or regulatory body.

Proven Management Team

CEO and Director Shay Shnet has over 20 years of experience in business and was most recently a founding partner and vice president of operations of MPX Bioceutical (CSE: MPX). While at MPX, Shnet focused on the North American cannabis space and helped build the company's portfolio of international cannabis assets. He is highly skilled in finding unique opportunities and has been directly involved with the development, branding, importing, consumer packaging and distribution of a wide variety of product lines.

President Mark Krytiuk is a very successful cannabis operator and was a founding partner of MPX. As the vice president of grow operations of MPX, he oversaw the production of medical marijuana and pharma-grade products across North America. He has been directly involved in overseeing the rapid expansion and buildout of nine facilities in three countries with budgets ranging up to $30 million. Krytiuk's experience includes consulting and working with customers to develop individual requirements for indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation while working with federal regulators and licensing bodies to ensure compliance.

Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE)

Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE) is a global financial technology and value-added solutions group that supports electronic payments acceptance in an omni-channel environment spanning across point-of-sale, e-commerce, and mobile devices. Net Element operates a payments-as-a-service transactional model and value-added services platform for small to medium enterprises in the U.S. and selected emerging markets. Internationally, Net Element's strategy is to leverage its omni-channel platform to deliver flexible offerings to emerging markets with diverse banking, regulatory and demographic conditions. Net Element was ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in North America on Deloitte's 2017 Technology Fast 500 ™ and South Florida Business Journal's 2016 fastest growing technology companies.

Net Element believes the future of global commerce is being revolutionized as consumers quickly migrate toward omni-channel shopping utilizing mobile devices, desktop, and online services. Net Element's all-in-one payment solutions support and unify a whole range of applications through a single, robust platform, allowing global onboarding and support for multiple payment methods.

With an eye on emerging markets, Net Element is pursuing growth opportunities and footholds in a number of industries. The company's most recent application of its technology is to the cannabis industry, which is paced to hit $591 million and could increase 40 times in the next four years. This rampant growth also creates heightened need for smooth transactions between merchants and consumers. Payment processing and compliance for the cannabis industry has become increasingly complex, and Net Element's Unified Payments subsidiary is addressing the challenges by offering a compliant, seamlessly integrated payment solution that makes it simple to transact.

Net Element has also launched a blockchain-focused business unit that will develop and deploy blockchain technology-based solutions. Net Element expects the new division to create a decentralized crypto-based ecosystem that will act as a framework for an unlimited number of value-added services, connecting merchants and consumers in a seamless, economically efficient transaction. This new business unit intends to also identify and invest in unique projects that decentralize and disrupt the payment processing industry by combining blockchain technology and real-world applications with talented development teams, strong fundamentals and addressable markets large in size.

"We believe that we're at the dawn of a new evolution where additional digital payment methods are being introduced," Net Element CEO Oleg Firer, says. "Introduction of our division focused on blockchain as part of the NASDAQ-listed entity will add transparency and compliance assurance to our investors as well as provide access to deploy value-added services to over 20 million electronic commerce clients that are currently part of Net Element's growing network."

Net Element clients are treated to customized solutions that provide the flexibility needed to keep up with customers. Among the services offered are mobile payment apps that accept payments anywhere, anytime; cloud-based solutions built to increase productivity and enhance revenue for clients and partners; marketing solutions that turn lookers into buyers; and business analytics that make it easy for clients to monitor business metrics, engage with customers and compare the competition. Its multi-channel platform combines e-commerce, offline, point-of-sale, comprehensive back office tools, mobile point-of-sale, credit scoring and customer interaction in one powerful platform-as-a-service technology.

Net Element owns and operates a global mobile payments and transactional processing provider, TOT Group, Inc., with the following subsidiaries:

  • Unified Payments – An award-winning, customized mobile billing and payments solution, recognized by Inc. Magazine as the No. 1 Fastest Growing Company in America in 2012.
  • Digital Provider – A leading provider of SMS messaging and mobile billing solutions.
  • Aptito – A next-generation, all-in-one, cloud-based restaurant management and point-of-sale payments platform using wireless technology.
  • Payonline – A fully integrated, processor agnostic electronic commerce platform.

Net Element is ranked No. 418 on Deloitte's 2017 Technology Fast 500™ list of North America's 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies. Net Element grew 190 percent. The company's chief executive officer, Oleg Firer, credits the company's progression to organic growth in its North America Transactions Segment, specifically the success of its Unified Payments brand, which focuses on value-added payment acceptance solutions for small to medium enterprises in the United States.

"The Deloitte 2017 North America Technology Fast 500 winners underscore the impact of technological innovation and world class customer service in driving growth, in a fiercely competitive environment," said Sandra Shirai, vice chairman, Deloitte Consulting LLP and U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader. "These companies are on the cutting edge, and are transforming the way we do business."

Net Element's suite of application performing interfaces (APIs) and connectors power commerce for businesses of all sizes through multi-channel platforms, all-in-one digital solutions, and end-to-end encryption of cardholder data utilizing tamper resistant hardware that ensures integrity and simplifies security.

Net Element's corporate team is led by director and CEO Oleg Firer, who is responsible for the overall vision, strategy and execution of the company's mission of powering global commerce. He is joined by CFO Jeffrey Ginsburg, CPA, and Steven Wolberg, who is the company's chief legal officer and secretary. Each corporate officer brings a unique blend of leadership, vision, experience and creative energy to the company.

From mobile payments and value-added transactional innovations such as Digital Provider and Aptito to e-commerce and retail payment transaction processing brands like Payonline and United Payments, Net Element is transforming the online and mobile experience.

Nightfood Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: NGTF)

Nightfood Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: NGTF)

, a pioneering consumer goods brand development company headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, owns Nightfood, Inc., creator of delicious, award-winning and better-for-you ice cream formulated by sleep and nutrition experts, and its wholly owned subsidiary MJ Munchies, Inc., which seeks to capitalize on legally compliant opportunities in the CBD and marijuana edibles and related spaces. Known as “The Nighttime Snack Company,” Nightfood Inc. is focused on improving the late-night snacking choices of consumers while solving America’s $50 billion-dollar nighttime snacking problem.

Nightfood Ice Cream

Nightfood’s higher-protein and sleep-friendly ice cream won the 2019 Product of the Year Award in a survey of over 40,000 consumers. The annual Product of the Year survey, the world’s largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, is conducted by Kantar, a global leader in consumer research. In beating out the other finalists, consumers indicated that Nightfood’s one-of-a-kind innovation and unique value proposition made it a clear-cut winner in the ice cream space and a brand they were highly motivated to try. Winners of the 32-year-old award have been shown to outperform category sales performance by over 38 percent.

Less than two months since manufacturing their first pint of ice cream, Nightfood has now secured distribution in more than 13 states, and has received extensive media coverage from outlets such as USA Today, Fox Business’ Mornings With Maria, Parents Magazine, The Food Network, MarketWatch, The Washington Post, Business Insider, Bustle, and more.

With the Product of the Year award and millions in media coverage, Management has publicly stated their goal of securing nationwide distribution in over 10,000 retail outlets by March 31, 2020.

Formulated by leading sleep and nutrition experts, including America’s most prominent sleep expert, Dr. Michael Breus, Nightfood’s higher protein/higher fiber, and lower sugar ice cream delivers great ice cream taste and texture, while minimizing sleep-disruptive ingredients such as caffeine, excess sugar, and excess fat and calories. The addition of certain minerals, enzymes and amino acids, which research suggests can support sleep quality, is another bonus. Nightfood only uses hormone-free milk, is certified Kosher, and offers eight original flavors, five of which are gluten-free. Nightfood ice cream also uses all-natural sweeteners with no Erythritol, no sucralose, or other artificial sweeteners.

More than 37,000 consumers across the country have already requested coupons for the company’s newly launched Nightfood ice cream by entering a giveaway hosted at NightfoodIceCream.com which includes a chance to win a one-year supply (96 pints) plus a freezer for storage. The coupon program is being run in conjunction with PromotionPod, which has previously conducted successful campaigns for brands such as Chobani, Halo Top, and BodyArmor.

Nightfood Inc. began its nationwide rollout of Nightfood ice cream in February 2019, successfully securing placement in Meijer supermarket locations in the Midwest with a concentration around the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus and Milwaukee. A distribution agreement with New England Ice Cream Corporation (NEIC) will also place Nightfood ice cream in outlets located throughout Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Ice cream lovers in northern California will find Nightfood Ice Cream at various upscale, independent retail outlets in and around the San Francisco bay area serviced through a distribution agreement with Wonder Ice Cream Company, which services thousands of retail outlets from Bakersfield north to the Oregon border. Consumers can also purchase Nightfood ice cream online at BuyNightfood.com through the Company’s partnership with IceCreamSource.com.

Ice cream is now the 2nd most popular night snack choice, with almost half of all consumers reaching for ice cream after dark. According to IRI Worldwide, 44 percent of all snack consumption occurs between dinner and bedtime, representing a consumer spend of over $1 billion weekly on nighttime snacks in the U.S. alone. Market research giant Mintel recently released a report identifying nighttime specific food and beverages as one of their most “compelling and category changing” trends for 2017 and beyond.

Nightfood has developed a dynamic infographic resource that clearly illustrates the size and scope of the largely untapped nighttime snack category (http://NightSnacking.com). Americans everywhere are likely to identify with the infographic’s results that vividly illustrate late night snacking by age group, popular snack choice, and amount of money spent each week on feeding after-hour snack attacks. Available in eight delicious flavors, Nightfood ice cream can help consumers satisfy nighttime cravings in a better, healthier, more sleep-friendly way.

MJ Munchies, Inc.

MJ Munchies, Inc., was formed in 2018 as a new, wholly owned subsidiary of Nightfood Holdings, Inc. to capitalize on legally compliant opportunities in the CBD and marijuana edibles and related spaces. The Company intends to market some of these new products under the trademarked brand name “Half-Baked” and has entered into a Letter of Intent that allows Global Consortium Inc. (OTC: GCGX) subsidiary Infused Edibles to receive an exclusive license to manufacture and distribute marijuana and CBD-infused products under the Half-Baked brand.

Management believes the Half-Baked brand will give the Company a unique and defensible competitive advantage against other recreational edible brands. The Company believes tremendous opportunities currently exist to launch successful and legally compliant products in this space, and that such opportunities will continue to grow over time.

Management Team

Nightfood founder and CEO Sean Folkson is a formerly frustrated nighttime snacker whose late-night cravings led him to seek a better solution for himself and others through the creation, marketing and distribution of the Nightfood product line. Folkson also founded internet marketing company AffiliatePros.com which provided the startup capital to launch Specialty Equipment Direct, an online distributor of floor removal equipment that quickly grew to 7-figure revenues. Folkson received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from S.U.N.Y Albany, New York, in 1991.

Jim Christensen, vice president of Nightfood Ice Cream, is the former Vice President of Ice Cream Sales with global ice cream giant Unilever. In his over 20 years at Unilever, Jim led sales and distribution initiatives for brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Klondike, Breyers and Good Humor. Christensen joined the Nightfood team in June of 2018 with the directive to launch Nightfood ice cream rapidly into national distribution through supermarket, drug, convenience and other channels. Understanding that the overwhelming majority of at-home ice cream consumption occurs in the hours before bed, Christensen has identified Nightfood as the next evolution in better-for-you ice cream.

CFO Mark Noffke, CPA, has over 37 years of experience as a seasoned financial and management professional. He has served as chief financial officer of several small cap public companies since 2004 where he oversaw virtually every aspect of the company’s operations, administration, customer service and human resources. Noffke has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Valparaiso University in Indiana.

Advisory Board

The Nightfood advisory board includes Tom Morse, founder of 5-Hour Energy and Living Essentials, LLC.; Doron Stern, former vice president of marketing at Chobani and Popcorn, Indiana; restaurateur and celebrity Chef Chris Santos; Paul Jarrett, CEO of fast-growing nutrition startup BuluBox; Eric Egeland, president of Capacity Consulting Inc.; Dr. Michael A. Grandner, director/Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona; Dr. Michael Breus, sleep expert and best-selling author known to millions as The Sleep Doctor(TM); Dr. Lauren Broch, resident nutrition, sleep disorder expert and a member of the scientific advisory board.

Organigram Holdings Inc. (TSX.V: OGI) (NASDAQ: OGI)

Organigram Holdings Inc. (TSX.V: OGI) (NASDAQ: OGI) is the parent company of Organigram Inc., a leading Canadian licensed producer (“LP”) of high-quality cannabis and extract-based products. Founded in 2013, Organigram is focused on producing high quality, indoor-grown cannabis for patients and adult recreational consumers in Canada, as well as developing international business partnerships to expand the Company’s global footprint. 

The Company has distribution arrangements in all 10 provinces1. Organigram delivers industry-leading yields and maximizes quality cannabis production at the lowest cultivation cost per gram among publicly reporting Canadian LPs.

Financial Results

In Q2 2019, the Company reported record net revenue of C$26.9 million, cash cost of cultivation of C$0.65 per gram, industry leading gross margin of C$16 million or 60% and adjusted EBITDA of C$13.3 million or margin of 49%, positive for the third consecutive quarter.

Significant Expansion Plans with Streamlined Licensing Process

Located in Moncton, New Brunswick, Organigram’s production facility and research & development program includes a state of the art, indoor 3-tier cultivation system which maximizes facility square footage. Its Phase 4 expansion project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 for increased target production capacity of 113,000 kg/year (249,000 lbs)2. As the Company expands its cultivation and processing capacities, Organigram is able to file amendments to the existing facility and each new production area is largely a replica of previously licensed areas, which results in a relatively streamlined and predictable licensing process with Health Canada.

In addition to increased production capacity from Phase 4, Organigram’s Phase 5 expansion includes plans for additional extraction capacity and its own edibles facility. Construction is expected to be substantially completed in October 2019.

Proprietary Technology

The Company’s indoor facility allows for control of all critical facets of the lighting and environmental elements to drive maximum quality and yield in the plants. The Company’s in-house proprietary information technology system, called OrganiGrow, tracks grow cycles, environmental conditions and other factors to optimize cultivation.

Numerous design and automation improvements include automated potting, pre-roll and packaging machines, and larger propagation rooms with advanced environmental systems.

Well Positioned for Canada’s Legalization of Edibles and Other Derivatives Products

Through its facility expansions, partnerships and research and development, the Company is well-positioned to capture further growth from the legalization of edibles and derivative products expected in October 2019. Its initial product focus is on vaporizable products and edibles.

Organigram’s development of a shelf-stable, thermally stable, water-soluble and tasteless cannabinoid nano-emulsion formulation may provide for an initial onset of effect within 10 to 15 minutes in a beverage. Non-cannabis formulations with a similar molecule size are water-soluble in humans (i.e., absorbed through the bloodstream rather than requiring first-pass liver metabolism, which results in longer onset and duration uncertainty). The Company expects to receive research and development licensing in the near term, at which point testing will be conducted to confirm the onset and duration.

Organigram has entered into an exclusive consulting agreement with The Green Solution (TGS), a proven market leader based in Denver, Colorado for the development of commercial scale extraction and derivative product development in Canada. Organigram’s partnership with Canada’s Smartest Kitchen, a leader in food product development, will expand the Company’s edibles R&D program.

The Company recently announced a C$15 million investment commitment in a high-speed, high-capacity, fully automated production line with a capacity of 4 million kilograms of exceptional chocolate cannabis edibles per year.

Organigram also has a multiyear extraction contract with Valens GroWorks Corp. to produce extract concentrate for oils and other derivative products.

Disruptive Technology

Through its partnership with Hyasynth Biologicals Inc., a biotech company and leader in the field of cannabinoid science and biosynthesis, Organigram has invested in a potentially disruptive technology that uses patented yeast strains and enzymes to naturally produce cannabinoids without growing the cannabis plant. This process has the potential to create a global supply of pure cannabinoids at a fraction of the cost of traditional cultivation. Organigram views this investment as providing early access to what it expects to be the future of cannabinoid production – cost-effectiveness, purity and scalability.

International

Organigram believes there will be increasing demand for CBD in Canada and beyond. As such, the Company has invested in Alpha-Cannabis Germany (ACG) and expects to provide ACG with flower for conversion into extracts. ACG is a medical cannabis provider serving the largest legalized medical market in Europe. The Company anticipates entering into an agreement with ACB to purchase pure synthetic CBD isolate in the future.

Organigram is also invested in Eviana Health Corp. (CSE: EHC), a Serbian-based company with hemp farming and processing assets.

Experienced Executive Team

  • CEO Gregory Engel has 30 years of national and international experience in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, cannabis, and consumer packaged goods (CPG), and most recently served as CEO of Tilray Inc. where he was instrumental in the company becoming the first Canadian exporter of medical cannabis, as well as establishing several trailblazing industry standards
  • Jeff Purcell, Senior Vice President of operations, has 25 years of experience in operations for companies such as Ganong Chocolates and McCain Foods
  • Tim Emberg, Senior Vice President of Sales and Commercial operations, has 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical sales and marketing in the OTC and CPG industries
  • Paolo DeLuca, Chief Financial Officer, has 20 years of diversified financial business experience including with West Face Capital and TD Securities
  • Ray Gracewood, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, has 15 years of experience in the marketing space and was senior Director of Dales and Marketing for Moosehead Breweries Ltd.

This profile contains certain non-IFRS performance measures including cash and all-in cost of cultivation per gram, net revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted gross margin which are not calculated in accordance with IFRS and may not be comparable to similar data presented by other companies. Please see the company’s Q2 2019 MD&A.

1 Subject to final regulatory approval from Quebec
2 Several factors can cause actual capacity and costs to differ from estimates. See “Risks and Uncertainties” in the Company’s Q2 2019 MD&A and “Risk Factors” in the latest Annual Information Form.

Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. (CSE: BOLT) (OTCQB: PCRCF) (XFRA: NXFE)

Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. (CSE: BOLT) (OTCQB: PCRCF) (XFRA: NXFE) is a Canada-based exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of production-grade cobalt deposits, a key raw material input for the growing lithium-ion battery industry.

Pacific Rim Cobalt and its Cyclops Nickel-Cobalt Project, located in the Depapre District, Jayapura Regency, Papua Province, Republic of Indonesia, is uniquely positioned in a region with potentially the largest source of cobalt outside of Africa. Strategically located near China, the world’s largest cobalt buyer, the Cyclops Project is a laterite (iron-hosted) mineral prospect, rich in cobalt and nickel. Cobalt consumption in China is on-track to use over 8,000 tonnes of cobalt annually by 2021 for electric vehicle production alone and is projected to remain the world’s largest cobalt consumer for many years to come.

Global demand for renewable power is fueling a massive shift from traditional energy supply chain economics to cobalt-reliant lithium-ion batteries, the world’s most widely used power source for portable applications such as electric vehicles and other high-tech applications.

Pacific Rim Cobalt management has concluded that strategic access to major markets offers the most important factor to servicing the rising demand for cobalt. The company’s acquisition of its initial asset in Indonesia offers near surface, strong nickel-cobalt mineralization in an area with excellent infrastructure including a nearby workforce, supplies, sealed roads, ocean access, nearby port facility and gentle topography. The project area, nestled on the north coast of Papua, Indonesia, establishes Pacific Rim Cobalt well within the economically attractive ocean-going transportation range to Asia and its lucrative, growing industrial markets.

Exploration efforts are currently focused on establishing a maiden compliant resource for the Cyclops project, both in historically identified and drill-tested prospects as well as previously unexplored areas of the claims. During the first nine months of 2018, the company focused on assembling the necessary agreements to access northern areas of the project hosting historically identified mineralized zones. Mapping, sampling and a mini-bulk sample within the mineralized zones has been completed, along with a small-scale program in the previously unexplored far southern area of the project. With surface access to priority targets now established, Pacific Rim Cobalt will initiate drilling and extract additional mini-bulk samples for further metallurgical testing.

“We are excited and optimistic about the unique possibility of developing this project into an asset that will add shareholder value and position the company to play a future role in the battery metals supply chain,” Pacific Rim Cobalt CEO Ranjeet Sundher recently stated (http://nnw.fm/u1HNs). “We expect the near-surface nature of cobalt/nickel mineralization at the Cyclops project will lend itself well to low-cost, logistically straightforward drilling. We thus anticipate the opportunity to undertake a resource calculation study, as well as ongoing metallurgy and process option testing, will present itself in the near future. It’s going to be a busy year ahead, and we look forward to getting the drills turning and building value.”

Pacific Rim Cobalt’s world-class management team includes Sundher, who has over 20 years of capital markets experience. Sundher is also president of Canrim Ventures Ltd., a Singaporean advisory firm specializing in early stage project finance and structure. He previously founded Indogold Exploration, a Jakarta-based mining service firm, and has raised over $40 million for companies in which he was a founder/partner.

Chief Financial Officer Steve Vanry has 25 years of professional experience in senior management positions with public and private natural resources companies, providing expertise in capital markets corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, accounting and financial reporting.

Andre Talaska serves as country manager and technical supervisor. He has over 30 years of experience in the mining and exploration industry and has held senior positions with several companies in Australia and southeast Asia. Shakir Juffry, business development/engineering, is a chemical engineer and extractive metallurgist by background training who has over 20 years of experience in the Indonesian mining and minerals exploration field. Toto Suarto Sajali, operation and development manager, is a mining engineer with over 15 years of experience in Indonesian project assessment, development and operations.

Pacific Software, Inc. (PFSF)

Pacific Software, Inc. (PFSF) is focused on the design, development, and distribution of Hyperledger blockchain technology solutions for application to the specific needs of agriculture and the opioid epidemic.

The basic requirements of the systems to be developed include high-throughput transaction processing, traceability or tracking, visibility or monitoring, and transparency throughout the supply and value chains for the stakeholders. The development of this architecture will serve as an online commercial portal to service Pacific Software's B2B accounts in the sectors below.

Agriculture
For application of its Agri-blockchain based system, Pacific Software will target farm-to-consumer exports to increase transparency, combat theft and counterfeit products, and reduce the health risks associated with shipping "tainted" agricultural products to other countries.

Controlled Substances
With the misuse of opioids on the rise worldwide, Pacific Software aims to apply its blockchain-based system to track opioids from pharmaceutical production to consumers and attempt to identify "Bad Actors" in the supply chain and fight against the global epidemic.

Business Model
The portal will be structured in a B2B format where clients will pay the company transaction fees, royalties, cash, cash equivalents and other forms of compensation to utilize its Hyperledger blockchain applications for their business models.

As the company executes these strategies, each Hyperledger blockchain-based system designed may be organized separately in wholly owned subsidiaries. To enhance its portfolio of holdings, Pacific Software may consider investments in companies where selected markets have imminent profitable results, providing appreciable value for investors and shareholders.

Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF)

Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF) is a Canadian-registered, publicly traded company engaged in the development and implementation of proprietary technologies for the environmentally safe extraction of heavy oils from oil sands, oil shale deposits and shallow oil deposits. The company is focused on oil sands exploration and production on mineral leases in Vernal, Utah, and in expanding production capacity at its Asphalt Ridge heavy oil extraction facility in Utah.

Petroteq Energy’s patent-pending application is a closed-loop, solvent-based process, which results in significantly lower per-barrel production costs than those incurred with traditional hot water-based oil sands extraction technologies. This green technology utilizes a small, modular footprint, produces no greenhouse gases, requires no high temperatures, leaves only clean dry sand, and could be deployed to unlock heavy oil deposits located around the world.

The Company’s Asphalt Ridge mineral lease on 2,500-plus acres in northeastern Utah features a large contingent oil sands resource base with an estimated 87 million barrels of oil equivalent. In 2015, the company produced 10,000 barrels of oil from the Utah location and plans to increase production are underway. Utah holds over 32 billion barrels of undeveloped oil sands resources, which are also known as “oil-wet” deposits containing a mixture of sand and a dense, extremely viscous form of petroleum referred to as bitumen or tar. A recent upswing in developing domestic energy sources has intensified interest in technological advances such as Petroteq’s Clean Oil Recovery Technology (CORT) System.

The Company continues to evaluate the development of other medium to heavy oil exploration, production and recovery projects on a global basis through a variety of structured agreements. These opportunities or other arrangements with private and governmental entities that utilize Petroteq Energy’s proprietary licensed technologies are expected to generate a significant return on investment.

The Company’s management team, board of directors and officers form an invaluable cross-section of industry leaders with extensive experience ranging from chemical engineering and solvent research, business development, international project management, entrepreneurial achievements, and senior management for global energy companies in North America and the Middle East. This impressive knowledge base covers both conventional and unconventional oil and gas projects and production, both in upstream and downstream industry sectors.

Petroteq Energy is also participating in a blockchain initiative aimed at solving the global transaction needs of the oil and gas industry through the development of PetroBLOQ. PetroBLOQ recently joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (“EEA”), the world’s largest open-source blockchain initiative. Membership with the 200-member EEA represents a wide variety of industries and offers 14 industry-focused, member-driven working groups.

“Joining this community of forward-looking enterprises and blockchain innovators is an important step for PetroBLOQ as we develop transformative solutions for the oil and gas industry,” said Petroteq Energy Chairman Alex Blyumkin.

In addition, Petroteq has joined the American Petroleum Institute (API). The API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, promoting safety across the industry globally and influencing public policy in support of a strong, viable oil and natural gas industry.

“API has led the development of operating standards for our industry, and we look forward to contributing our experience with oilfield technologies in addition to introducing our PetroBLOQ platform to its members throughout the supply chain,” Blyumkin previously stated.

Plus Products Inc. (CSE: PLUS) (OTCQB: PLPRF)

Plus Products Inc. (CSE: PLUS) (OTCQB: PLPRF) is a branded cannabis-infused products manufacturer of edibles created to support a healthy and active lifestyle. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, PLUS™ concentrates on producing edibles using extracts to ensure compliant, dosable and delicious products that provide a consistent cannabis experience.

First introduced to the market in 2015 to rave reviews, PLUS™ is now one of the top best-selling edible brands in California. PLUS™ operates through a wholly owned subsidiary, Carberry, and has four cannabis-infused gummy candy SKUs (in addition to limited edition SKUs), that are currently sold in over 200 licensed dispensaries and delivery services. All products under the PLUS™ brand are produced in the company’s 12,000-square-foot food-safe cannabis manufacturing facility in Adelanto, California.

PLUS Products shares are currently listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. PLUS™ raised CAD$20 million through the offering, for which the lead underwriters were PI Financial and Canaccord Genuity. The company intends to use a portion of the IPO proceeds to fund rapid product capacity expansion, factory automation, working capital and new product development.

Operating in the largest adult-use recreational market in the U.S., PLUS Products holds a temporary manufacturing license in California and was one of the first brands to bring fully compliant products to the legal market. California legalized adult use recreational sales on Jan. 1, 2018, and industry analysts expect edible sales there will continue to amass enviable revenues. According to BDS Analytics, edibles made up 18 percent of marijuana retail sales in February 2018 across licensed retailers in California, with PLUS™ products ranking in the Top 10 of edible brands by retail dollar sales.

During the first half of 2018, PLUS Products generated US$2.45 million in sales, a marked improvement over 2017’s US$1.07 million in sales. The company’s established cannabis products are not only compliant with state laws, they are proving to be extremely popular with consumers. Among the PLUS™ product brands are:

  • Blackberry & Lemon RESTORE, an infusion of carefully dosed cannabis with a 9:1 THC to CBD per gummy.
  • Sour Watermelon UPLIFT, a low-calorie gummy crafted from carefully dosed cannabis with an infusion of 5mg THC per gummy.
  • Pineapple & Coconut CBD RELIEF, a tropical flavor gummy made from pure cannabis-derived CBD that is low-calorie, gluten-free and made with kosher ingredients.
  • Sour Blueberry CREATE, a low-calorie gummy infused with hybrid flower containing 5 mg THC.
  • Limited Edition Rose & Vanilla, available at select locations during Winter 2018, these gummies are crafted with 60 mg THC/30 mg CBD per tin.
  • Limited Edition RAINBOW SORBET gummies was created to celebrate Pride during Spring 2018 with a portion of each purchase donated to The Trevor Project, a confidential suicide hotline for LGBT youth.

“We are extremely proud of the products PLUS has brought to market,” remarked Jake Heimark, CEO and cofounder in a statement. “We’ve quickly grown into one of the leading edible brands in California. With the proceeds of this round, we will continue to further our mission: to make cannabis safe and approachable for all types of consumers.”

The PLUS™ team believes that everyone deserves access to consistent, dosable and delicious cannabis products and strives to make that happen. Producing the best infused products at scale requires thoughtful collaboration among experts in many fields. At PLUS™, our team is comprised of Chefs, Chemists, Food Manufacturing Experts, Engineers, Machinists, Visionaries, Creatives, Strategists and others.

Pressure BioSciences Inc. (PBIO)

Pressure BioSciences Inc. (PBIO) develops, markets and sells proprietary laboratory instrumentation and associated consumables to the life sciences sample preparation market. Sample preparation refers to the wide range of activities that precede most forms of scientific analysis. It is often complex and time-consuming, yet a critical part of scientific research. The market for sample preparation products is currently estimated at $6 billion worldwide.

The Company's product line can be used to exquisitely control the sample preparation process. It is based on a patented, enabling technology platform called pressure cycling technology ("PCT"). PCT uses alternating cycles of hydrostatic pressure between ambient (14.5 psi) and ultra-high levels (up to 100,000 psi) to safely and reproducibly control critical biological processes, such as the lysis (breakage) of cells, the digestion of proteins, and the inactivation of pathogens.

Pressure BioSciences' product line is led by its newly released, next-generation Barocycler 2320EXTREME instrument. Named a finalist in the prestigious 2017 R&D Awards (also known as the "Oscars of Innovation"), the Barocycler 2320EXT is already being touted by some key opinion leaders as an essential element of the $1.8 billion U.S. "Cancer Moonshot" program. For example, Professor Phil Robinson, Co-head of the cancer research center of the Children's Medical Research Institute (Sydney, Australia), said in a recent interview: "We are collecting the whole proteome on 70,000 tumor samples from all classes where complete clinical outcome is known. Due to its unique capabilities, the Barocycler 2320EXT has become a critical part of our program. It is the primary enabler of the high-throughput component of the project. Without this step, our project simply could not be done. In fact, the Barocycler 2320EXT works so well we have just purchased two more."

Momentum is building when it comes to the potential for using the Company's unique PCT technology platform. Leading scientists are intrigued by Pressure BioSciences' approach, which among other attributes, revolutionizes the process of rupturing cells (lysis) for further study, yielding superior biomolecules for investigation. The Company's technology transcends current methods of breaking open cells, which use chemicals, blades, metal beads, or other damaging and altering methods that can ultimately adversely affect the result for researchers. Pressure BioSciences' PCT technology utilizes customized, controlled hydrostatic (water) pressure to rupture cells in a chamber, enabling exquisitely customized levels of pressure to optimally break open different types of cells at prescribed pressure levels—something never before accomplished in a commercial setting. Using this pioneering method, the result is a truer, more legitimate sample, which boosts the efficacy of research and the quality of results. The potential impact of this technology on scientific advancement is enormous, enabling research scientists to begin their studies with biological samples of unprecedented integrity, with the potential to improve research outcomes at the earliest, most critical step. PCT can additionally inactivate pathogens (e.g., viruses, bacteria) using hydrostatic pressure, making the samples safer to study—another innovation with astronomical potential for application in a variety of markets.

The Company's high-pressure instruments for research purposes are marketed throughout the United States, Europe, China and Japan. To date, Pressure BioSciences has installed nearly 300 PCT Systems in over 165 leading academic, government, biotech and pharma laboratories around the world. Its primary applications are in biomarker discovery, forensics, agriculture and pathology. Over 100 scientific papers have been published on the advantages of the PCT platform, which is also being used in the specialized fields of drug discovery and design, bio-therapeutics characterization, soil and plant biology, vaccine development and histology.

Impressive as their biotech business is, there is more to the PBI story. Pressure BioSciences recently received two patents in China for its novel Ultra Shear Technology (UST), a process that has potential in a wide range of industrial applications, including extending the shelf life of some food products and making two insoluble liquids (like oil in water) soluble. Patents have also been filed in many other countries worldwide. UST is a novel technique based on the use of intense shear forces generated from ultra-high-pressure valve discharge.

This important technology has the potential to play a significant role in a number of commercially important areas through its ability to create high-quality, stable nanoemulsions. Scientific studies indicate that improved absorption, higher bioavailability, greater stability, lower surfactant levels and other advantages can be achieved with nanoemulsions – all hugely important factors in the fields of nutraceuticals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and in various medical products. There is an enormous opportunity in the cannabis market, since the technology can potentially reduce oil droplets containing cannabidiol (CBD) to nanoparticles, after which they can be safely suspended in a stable water solution—something many companies have endeavored to achieve without success. Researchers looking for a way to increase the bioavailability of cannabinoids in the body will find this technology a game changer.

The Company's UST technology also has possibilities in the production of clean label foods, which are currently processed using several innovative methods, including high-pressure treatments (such as Starbucks' Evolution line of juices). In 2015, the worldwide market for high-pressure processed (HPP) food was estimated at U.S. $10 billion. UST uses ultra-high pressures and certain valves to generate intense shear forces under controlled temperature conditions to produce nanoemulsions, and which also significantly reduces food-borne pathogens. Pressure BioSciences' initial focus with this technology will be to evaluate UST for the production of high-quality dairy products and beverages.

QMC Quantum Minerals Corp. (OTC: QMCQF) (TSX.V: QMCQF) (FSE: 3LQ)

QMC Quantum Minerals Corp. (OTC: QMCQF) (TSX.V: QMCQF) (FSE: 3LQ) is a British Columbia based company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of natural resource properties. QMC's focus is on creating shareholder value through strategic acquisition and development of high quality lithium, silver, gold, nickel, copper and zinc prospects.

QMC's current properties are in the Canadian province of Manitoba, one of Canada's most productive, centrally located mining regions. These resources include the Irgon Lithium Mine project and two Volcanic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") properties – the Rocky Lake and Rocky-Namew known collectively as the Namew Lake District Project – which contain base metal-rich mineral deposits. Excellent access and well-developed mining infrastructure to the company's wholly-owned Irgon Lithium Mine Project offers significant value and ramps up the near-term production schedule, putting QMC in a position to take advantage of rising lithium prices.

The region's historic resource estimate of lithium is well documented in a 1956 Assessment Report developed by a previous owner, Lithium Corporation of Canada Ltd. The project's historical resource estimate of 1.2 million tons grading 1.51% lithium-oxide over a strike length of 365 meters and to a depth of 213 meters is being updated by QMC through a detailed channel sampling and subsequent drill program.

North Face Software Ltd. recently created an interactive 3-D model of the Irgon Dike utilizing all historical data derived from past drilling and underground work. The 3-D model clearly demonstrates that exploration and underground development has only taken place on the central portion of the dike, leaving significant potential to quickly increase tonnage.

The company's latest assay results, obtained from 144 channel samples at QMC's Irgon Lithium Mine Project, provided encouraging and positive results that compare favorably with the historic assays. QMC has received a drill permit from the Sustainable Development Office of the Manitoba government and is in the process of requesting and assessing bids from drilling contractors. The company plans to begin a 2,000-meter drill program to confirm the historic lithium oxide assay results documented in the historic 1953-54 drill program.

QMC's experienced leadership team includes specialists in mineral exploration, geology, engineering, new business development, marketing and investor relations. The company's team of qualified advisors includes consultant Bruce E. Goad, P.Geo., who has 40 years of experience in mineral exploration in Canada, Argentina, Asia and Africa. As a Qualified Person, Goad has worked on numerous deposit styles including rare element pegmatites, porphyry, banded iron formation (BIF) gold deposits, skarn, greisens,  and VMS. He has a wide and varied skill set which includes precious, base, industrial and rare metal projects with a sharp focus on gold exploration. Goad is the author of several scholarly publications on pegmatite granites of the southeastern Manitoba region.

The market for lithium has surged over the past three years with prices per metric ton tripling. The world's rising demand for portable power can easily been seen in the electric vehicle and mobile device industries – both of which use lithium-based, renewable batteries as a power resource. QMC's high potential prospects and experienced management team, both in geology and corporate finance, put QMC and its shareholders in an excellent position to take advantage of the lithium, precious and base metals markets.

Redfund Capital Corp. (CSE: LOAN) (FSE: 3LQ) (OTC: PNNRF) (Frankfurt: O3X4)

Redfund Capital Corp. (CSE: LOAN) (FSE: 3LQ) (OTC: PNNRF) (Frankfurt: O3X4) is a merchant bank focused on providing debt and equity funding in the mid to late stages of a target company’s development and for technologies that are developed and validated by revenues. Redfund’s current focus is on medical cannabis, hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) related and healthcare-related companies.

As the first medical cannabis incubator and accelerator financing medical cannabis, CBD and hemp companies through a debt facility, Redfund is effectively bridging finance gaps and helping revenue-producing medical cannabis-related companies grow and build their valuations without prematurely diluting their equity.

The central components of the company’s business strategy are:

  • Establishing the foundation of a loan portfolio that generates revenues through monthly interest income from loans to cover all general and administrative expenses related to day-to-day operations.
  • Growing shareholder value by converting all or part of loans and warrants into equity in portfolio clients as clients build their valuations by entering the public markets or becoming the high-priced targets of larger entities.

Redfund was designed by bankers and entrepreneurs possessing years of experience in business, consulting, capital markets, corporate finance and healthcare services. The company is actively looking beyond borders and creating global companies that have strong fundamentals and are ready to expand.

Redfund’s investments are deployed to companies that have demonstrated success in their business but need a capital bridge in order to expand. Redfund’s team of professionals vet every project and analyzes each prospective client’s financials and business plans. Once a project is approved, Redfund’s legal team carefully scrutinizes the collateral used to securitize the individual loans.

The strategy employed by Redfund includes:

  • Diversifying investments in Canada and other countries
  • Building an international footprint with established national leaders
  • Funding new drug delivery systems and helping nutraceuticals become mainstream drugs
  • Introducing companies to Canada as a viable option for public listings
  • Becoming a premier go-to lender for established companies

The company’s revenue sources include:

  • Interest-bearing debt instruments with asset-backed collateral to securitize loans
  • Equity kicker of warrants coverage on original loan
  • Conversion ability of loan in its entirety
  • Advisory fees from contracts for consulting on growth strategies
  • Right of first refusal on future financing in each company funded

Sharing Services Global Corporation (SHRG)

Sharing Services Global Corporation (SHRG), headquartered in Plano, Texas, is a diversified holdings company focused on reshaping how entrepreneurs succeed today. Sharing Services Global Corporation owns, operates or controls an interest in a variety of companies specializing in the direct selling industry that either sell products to the consumer directly through independent representatives or offer services that range from health and wellness, energy, technology, insurance services, training, media and travel benefits. SHRG has created the "Blue Ocean Strategy," which melds three keys together to implement the company's vision. These keys include elevating home-based entrepreneurs, known as "Elepreneurs," utilizing the direct selling channel to generate 100 percent organic growth.

Sharing Services Global Corporation subsidiaries include:

  • A growing international network of home-based entrepreneurs, called "Elepreneurs"
  • Growing selection of health and wellness products dedicated to elevating the well-being of all people
  • Insurance from auto, home and life to health benefit discounts and health insurance that help families elevate their options
  • Wholesale travel and payment programs with travel concierges that empower more families to go on vacation
  • Live seminars and training events – from Vacationars™ to EduTainment – that elevate the skills and knowledge of entrepreneurs around the world
  • Unique compensation and reward programs crafted to help entrepreneurs elevate their health, wealth and happiness

Sharing Services recently expanded its corporate footprint by moving to a 10,000 square foot facility in Plano, Texas, that offers room to expand as the company grows and its subsidiaries flourish. The larger corporate locale provides space for a growing customer service department, product fulfillment, opportunity and training rooms, as well as a video production suite.

"The opportunity to expand to the rest of this new building over the course of the next six to 12 months ensures we won't have to move again anytime soon," Sharing Services Global Corporation Chairman Robert Oblon said. "We are on track for very significant growth here in the U.S., as well as upcoming international expansion, so this move is in preparation for what's in front of us."

The company recently signed a joint venture agreement with Health Wealth & Happiness Limited ("HWH") to expand its "Elepreneurs" brand and market its products throughout Asia. The newly formed company will be named "Elepreneurs Asia Limited" and will have marketing and sales rights to China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Papua, New Guinea. A soft launch of the Elepreneur program is scheduled sometime later in 2018 with HWH CEP Fai Chan and his team leading the effort. Formed in Hong Kong, Health Wealth & Happiness Limited is dedicated to working with visionary partners like Sharing Services Global Corporation to deliver the best products and services to improve the well-being of consumers.

Nearly 1,000 people attended Sharing Services Global Corporation's first "Elepreneur Happiness Convention," held March 2-3, 2018, in Dallas, Texas. Attendees arrived from several countries including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Singapore and Hong Kong. Keynote speakers included several internationally known motivational leaders –  Shawn Achor, Sandra Yancey, John Fleming and Les Brown – who provided exceptional material and inspirational discussion points.

"The enthusiasm of our attendees and the early success that we are experiencing is incredible considering our growth has been 100 percent organic, with almost no marketing from the company," Oblon said. "I'm speechless by the dedication of our Elepreneur leaders and their entire teams, as they share our incredible line of products that have helped so many people."

Sharing Services and its management team plan to travel the U.S. to hold several mini conferences to expand on the messages presented at its Happiness Convention that focus on helping people become "healthier, happier and wealthier." Details of the company's aggressive global expansion initiatives are soon to be announced, Oblon said.

The law firm of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP has been retained as outside corporate counsel for all general business matters. The Dallas-based law firm will represent Sharing Services Global Corporation, and its subsidiaries as the company utilizes the direct selling channel for a significant component of its overall growth strategy.

John "JT" Thatch was appointed president and chief executive officer of Sharing Services Global Corporation, at a March 1, 2018, annual shareholder meeting. Thatch has successfully started, owned and operated several sized businesses in various industries. His experience with corporate growth, acquisitions, financing and negotiation in fast-paced and flexible environments will significantly assist Sharing Services Global Corporation as the company aims to expand and increase revenues.

SinglePoint, Inc. (SING)

SinglePoint, Inc. (SING) is a diversified holding company with operations in multiple industries and verticals including two high-performing market sectors: legal cannabis and cryptocurrencies. SinglePoint has grown from a full-service mobile technology provider to a recognizable brand with a diverse portfolio of undervalued subsidiaries with multiple revenue streams.

SinglePoint is researching opportunities where it can be an active participant by influencing the strategy and direction of high-potential companies whose verified assets offer attractive possibilities for shareholders. The company is guided by a visionary leadership team with extensive experience in technology, engineering, marketing and raising capital.

SinglePoint is bullish on the cannabis industry, bitcoin and blockchain technologies, which is evident in its recent acquisitions and joint-venture announcements. Recent SinglePoint key highlights include:

  • A joint venture with Smart Cannabis Corporation (OTC: SCNA) to license and market Smart Cannabis' SMART APP. SMART APP enables cannabis growers to measure all aspects of cultivation, from soil nutrient levels to watering cycles and carbon dioxide content in the air. SMART APP will integrate SinglePoint's bitcoin payment solution to enable growers to process safer and more secure transactions.
  • A joint venture with Global Payout (OTC: GOHE) will build on existing financial technology solutions developed by SinglePoint and Global Payout's subsidiary MoneyTrac Technology, Inc., to fully optimize the delivery of mobile payment applications for domestic and international organizations.
  • A joint venture with AppSwarm (OTC: SWRM) to start development on a proprietary delivery application that will enable licensed cannabis delivery services and licensed dispensaries to safely make in-home cannabis deliveries.
  • Signed original "Shark Tank" member Kevin Harrington as company spokesman for an innovative, compatible virtual wallet to store any type of cryptocurrency. Harrington recently finished shooting a new national ad campaign featuring SinglePoint and the virtual wallet's secure method of storing cryptocurrencies.
  • Entered into a letter of intent to acquire 100 percent of Bitcoin Beyond, a premier platform that enables merchants to accept bitcoin payments using existing web-enabled point-of-sale devices.
  • Through SING subsidiary, SingleSeed, the company will soon offer a proprietary cryptocurrency solution that links both cannabis merchants and consumers who seek to take advantage of bitcoin-powered transactions using debit and credit cards. In addition to making bitcoin-backed card purchases possible, the solution enables cannabis dispensaries to digitally track and manage their product inventories, performing tasks like uploading product data, photos and descriptions. The system deducts items automatically from a dispensary's product listings when a purchase is made. While this fully KYC-AML compliant point-of-sale platform can be utilized for any other retail setting, it will fill a critical need in the underbanked cannabis industry as it continues to seek non-cash payment solutions outside of traditional banking circles.

SinglePoint CEO and founder Greg Lambrecht leads the company in its mission to capture opportunities through an aggressive expansion strategy across a broad range of assets. Lambrecht oversees all company operations including investor relations, leadership of the board of directors, and daily business activities. As the founder of PCI, a leading consumer product distribution company, Lambrecht negotiated agreements with the nation's largest retail outlets and led PCI through a NASDAQ listed IPO, raising $10 million.

Eric Lofdahl, SinglePoint's chief technology officer, has more than 20 years of experience in the technology sector including positions in software development, program management, complex system integration and engineering process definition. Prior to SinglePoint, Lofdahl worked at the Boeing Company where he led a team that successfully developed advanced wireless and satellite data products based on commercial technology for the U.S. Air Force.

SinglePoint President Wil Ralston is well known for his successful track record of building and maintaining great relationships with clients. Ralston graduated cum laude from the WP Carey School of Business at Arizona State University with a degree in Global Agribusiness and a specialization in Professional Golf Management. He is currently recognized by the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) as a Class A Professional.

Siyata Mobile Inc. (TSX.V: SIM) (OTCQX: SYATF)

Siyata Mobile Inc. (TSX.V: SIM) (OTCQX: SYATF) is a leading global developer and provider of Push-to-Talk Over Cellular ("PTT/PoC") systems for enterprise customers. The company specializes in connected vehicle products for professional fleets and markets its products under the Uniden® Cellular brand.

Since its inception in 2012, Siyata has amassed a customer base that includes cellular operators, commercial vehicle technology distributors, and fleets of all sizes in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Australia and the Middle East.

Recognized by the Toronto Venture Stock Exchange in 2018 as a Venture Top 50 Company, Siyata aims to deliver the highest quality and most technologically advanced mobile communication devices for global corporate workforces, fleets, homes and buildings.

The company has long been an industry pioneer, delivering the world's first 3G connected vehicle device as well as the world's first 4G/LTE vehicle mounted smartphone for First Responders and commercial fleets and vehicles.

Siyata is headquartered in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Product Portfolio

Siyata's suite of technology includes numerous PTT and legacy devices, as well as cellular boosters designed to improve cellular signals in corporate warehouses, government embassies, retirement home campuses, banks and manufacturing plants.

The company's flagship product, the Uniden UV350, is the world's first vehicle-mounted 4G/LTE smartphone with crystal clear quality, carrier grade PTT, voice, text, video and data applications built into a single device. Specifically designed for First Responder and commercial fleet vehicles, the UV350 runs on cellular LTE networks that provide nationwide and global coverage, replacing traditional single purpose two-way radios that require a monthly fee and limited network coverage.

The Uniden UV350 is currently available through Bell Mobility, Canada's largest LTE network and PTT community. Expanding its availability, Siyata is completing network approval with two North American Tier 1 operators to launch the UV350 in the U.S. in 2019.

Management Team

CEO and Chairman Marc Seelenfreund is the founder of Siyata. He is also the founder of Siyata's parent company, Accel Telecom, an Israel-based company that specializes in importing and distributing innovative cellular and IP devices to fixed line operators and mobile providers within Israel. Prior to establishing Accel, Seelenfreund was a vice president at Sunrise Corporation in New York where he focused on financing publicly traded technology companies. Seelenfreund has a law degree from Bar Ilan University, is a board member at Israel's leading private university, and has served as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces.

Glenn Kennedy, vice president of sales, has over 25 years of sales experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to joining Siyata in 2016, Kennedy managed sales nationally for Motorola Canada, HTC Communications Canada, and Sonim Technologies. He holds a bachelor's degree in honors business administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

CFO Gerald Bernstein, a professional chartered accountant, has spent 20 years focusing on private equity financing and tax efficient corporate structuring in multi-jurisdictional arenas. He holds a bachelor's degree of commerce as well as a graduate diploma in public accountancy from McGill University. Bernstein has been a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants since 1987.

Gidi Bracha, Vice President of Technology, has served in this position since 2011 and spearheaded the development of both the Truckfone, Voyager and UV350. Bracha served in various key positions at Cellcom, Israel's leading cellular provider, including head of car mobility products and director of type approvals. Bracha served as an engineer technician in the Anti-Aircraft division of the Air Force in the Israel Defense Forces and holds a bachelor's degree in engineering and business management from the University of Derby.

Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. (SGSI)

Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. (SGSI) is a leading single-source provider of end-to-end, next-generation wireless and wireline network infrastructure services and staffing solutions to the service provider (carrier) and corporate enterprise markets across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Caribbean. Spectrum Global Solutions provides services directly to carriers, aggregators, utilities, enterprise, Project Management Organizations (PMO) and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) clientele through the following subsidiaries:

  • AW Solutions, Inc. and AW Solutions Puerto Rico, LLC – Provides best-in-class communications infrastructure deployment services to carriers, OEMs, PMOs, utilities and enterprise clients by offering discrete and full turnkey service solutions for wireless and wireline clientele. AW Solutions holds professional engineering licenses in all contiguous states and in the District of Columbia and Hawaii; the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador; in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • ADEX Corporation and ADEX Puerto Rico, LLC – An international service organization providing turnkey services and staffing solutions to telecommunications carriers and enterprise clients. Since 1993, ADEX has been assisting telecommunications companies throughout the project life cycle of any network deployment. ADEX and its service capabilities extend from the most basic installation functions to the most advanced engineering disciplines for today and tomorrow’s communications networks. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, ADEX employs technical professionals and provides infrastructure services worldwide via domestic and international locations.
  • Tropical Communications, Inc. – A state licensed electrical and underground utility contractor headquartered in Miami, Florida, providing all types of communications and infrastructure facility structured wiring services and solutions since 1984.

Through its subsidiaries, Spectrum Global Solutions is a comprehensive single-source provider for professional services and solutions for the development, deployment and maintenance of wireless/Distributed Antenna System (DAS)/small cell/wireline and fiber networks and infrastructure. The company’s services range in scope from a single activity to multiyear, multi-region, large-scale turnkey development contracts with a deepening pool of international, national, regional and local projects. Spectrum Global Solutions has completed more than 150,000 project activities on wireless, DAS, wireline and fiber networks across the United States utilizing licensed professional engineers, project managers, technicians and general contractors.

Market Opportunity

Growth projections for the telecom industry show a high growth cycle 2018 through 2025 with a four-fold increase in domestic mobile data traffic and up to $150 billion in fiber investment over the next 5-7 years (Deloitte, 2017). The worldwide explosion of smart phones, tablets and BYOD by customers demanding rapid deployment of new apps, private networks with better coverage and enhanced capacity provides a compelling enterprise opportunity market. The imminent rollout of 5G next generation networks, IOT (Internet-Of-Things) technology deployments, the FirstNet national public safety system, small cell/network densification, Dish Network Deployment, fiber and infrastructure network builds for backhaul and expanded deployments, new FCC spectrum auctions and upgrades to 4G, DAS and small cell networks are contributing to a projected $157 billion in U.S. telecommunication carrier capital expenditures by 2021.

Management

CEO Roger Ponder has served as a director of Spectrum Global Solutions since April 2017. Ponder served as President/CEO of Summit Capital Advisors, LLC, and Summit Broadband, LLC a provider of consulting services to private equity and institutional banking entities in the telecommunications, cable and media/internet sectors. He also served as a member of the board of directors of InterCloud Systems, Inc. and served as its Chief Operating Officer from November 2012 to March 2015. Prior to that Ponder retired from Time Warner Kansas City Division as President/CEO. Ponder brings extensive business development, strategic planning and operational experience to the Company.

Keith Hayter is President of Spectrum Global Solutions and has served as a director of the Company since April 2017. Hayter has also served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of AW Solutions Inc. and AW Solutions Puerto Rico LLC since November 2006. He was Vice President and General Manager of Alcoa Wireless Services from 2001-2006. Hayter served in both the U.S. and British armies and brings extensive multi-national experience in the start-up, development, management and growth of companies in the telecommunication, engineering and construction industry.

Sproutly Canada, Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (FRA: 38G)

Sproutly Canada, Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (FRA: 38G) is developing and bringing to market cannabis consumer products with a focus on beverages. The company’s core mission is to become the leading supplier of water-soluble cannabis solutions and bio-natural oils for brands in the emerging cannabis beverage and edibles market.

To make this happen, Sproutly acquired Infusion Biosciences to bring to market a patent-pending Aqueous Phytorecovery Process (APP) technology, a fundamental paradigm shift within the cannabis industry. Replacing traditional water-compatible solutions with true natural water solubility improves the body’s ability to utilize cannabinoids, making the effect of the cannabis almost immediate.

This revolutionary process doesn’t alter the cannabis compounds and provides an onset time and offset time that mimics the same effects as inhaled marijuana. That means consumers may feel effects in five minutes or less and be free from the desired effect in approximately 90 minutes—a vastly different ingestion pattern than current methods. In addition, the water-based cannabinoids can be mixed with other liquids and stay dissolved in those liquids. The application of water-soluble cannabis infusions has potential to be widespread in both medicinal and recreational cannabis sectors, giving Sproutly a distinctive edge in a market with untapped potential.

Sproutly’s business model is focused on processing rather than cultivating, which means its success is not constrained to growing its own cannabis. The company does own a Toronto-based, ACMPR-licensed facility designed and built with a focus on cultivating pharmaceutical-grade cannabis to produce and formulate the first natural, truly water-soluble cannabis solution. Its water-soluble ingredients and bio-natural oils will deliver revolutionary brands to international markets that are searching for well-defined commercial products.

Sproutly’s entrance in the cannabis market is perfectly timed as cannabis is moving towards mainstream acceptance. Potential users are, however, interested in consuming cannabis products as drinks and using it as oils rather than smoking. The potential cannabis beverage market is staggering, and with Sproutly owning the exclusive rights to APP technology in Canada, Australia, Jamaica, Israel and the entire European Union, the company is looking at significant international expansion opportunities.

Sproutly plans to capitalize on these international opportunities by executing on partnerships with local and globally established consumer brands to leverage their existing customer bases, expand brand loyalty, and assist with marketing and support distribution networks to deliver scientific breakthroughs with speed and efficiency worldwide.

Management

Sproutly believes that talent drives growth. The company is committed to bringing together the best and brightest minds in the cannabis space to help with their mission to disrupt the global beverage and consumables market.

President, CEO and Director Keith Dolo recently served for more than 13 years with Robert Half, an S&P 500, NYSE-listed company. At Robert Half, Dolo held the position of vice president for more than eight years, as well as other senior roles in both operations and sales. He also sits on an advisory committee and a board position for two nonprofits in Vancouver, BC.

Chief Science Officer and Director Dr. Arup Sent has more than 35 years of experience in research and executive management at biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. He was awarded a PhD in biochemistry from Princeton University and is a former faculty member at the National Cancer Institute and Scripps Research Institute. Sen is the inventor on five U.S. patents and numerous international patents and patent-pending applications.

Chief Financial Officer Craig Loverock is a chartered professional accountant with over 20 years of experience in accounting and finance roles in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. He has extensive expertise in public company reporting and transactional experience, having served as the senior financial advisor to the chairman at Magna International and acting as chief compliance officer and CFO for a private equity firm.

Head Grower Frank Han has over 12 years of experience in the horticulture industry. A previous master grower in a large commercial facility, Han has impressive expertise in all growing methods, techniques and procedures. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge in cloning, nutrient and overall plant management. Han will be in charge of the production team at Sproutly’s Toronto Herbal Remedies facility.

Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSX.V: SLL) (FRA: S5L) (OTC: STLHF)

Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSX.V: SLL) (FRA: S5L) (OTC: STLHF) is focused on unlocking the value of existing large-scale U.S.-based lithium brine resources that can quickly be brought into production. The Company believes new lithium production can rapidly be brought on stream by minimizing project risks at selection stage; resource, political & geographic, and regulatory & permitting; and by leveraging advances in lithium extraction technologies and processes.

The Company's flagship project is in southern Arkansas. The more than 180,000-acre "Smackover Project" is in the most prolific and productive brine processing region in North America. Agreements with large commercial brine operators in the region will allow Standard Lithium to utilize the extensive existing infrastructure, including brine supply and disposal pipelines, water, power and a trained workforce to fast-track project development timelines.

"Arkansas produces about 9.4 billion gallons of brine per year, according to 2010-2016 average statistics reported by the Arkansas Oil & Gas Commission."

Standard Lithium signed a binding MoU with global specialty chemicals company LANXESS Corporation and its U.S. affiliate Great Lakes Chemical Corporation with the purpose of demonstrating the commercial viability of extraction of lithium from brine ("tail brine") that is produced as part of LANXESS' bromine extraction business at its three Southern Arkansas facilities.

LANXESS' land operations in Southern Arkansas encompass more than 150,000 acres, 10,000 brine leases and surface agreements and 250 miles of pipelines. LANXESS extracts the brine from its wells located throughout the area, and the brine is transported to the three Arkansas plants through a network of pipelines. The three bromine extraction plants currently employ approximately 500 people and process and reinject several hundred thousand barrels of brine per day.

Standard Lithium has developed a breakthrough rapid lithium extraction process that reduces the recovery time of extracting lithium from brine to as little as several hours vs. the current industry method that takes years. The process is also much more environmentally friendly with a significantly smaller footprint than the conventional processes. The company has a signed agreement to locate a demonstration scale lithium extraction plant inside one of LANXESS' chemical plants in Southern Arkansas.

The Company has also signed an option agreement with NYSE-listed Tetra Technologies for the lithium rights for exploration, extraction, and possible commercial development on approximately 30,000 acres of brine leases in Southern Arkansas. The largest available land package.

Recent laboratory results of four brine samples recovered from two existing wells in Standard Lithium's project area showed lithium concentrations ranging between 347-461 mg/L lithium, with an average of 450 mg/L lithium in one of the wells and 350 mg/L in the other. Geological modeling of the project area is complete, and a maiden resource report is on the horizon.

Market Opportunity

World demand for lithium continues to surge. The global lithium compounds market is projected to reach U.S. $5.87 billion by 2020 at a compound annual growth rate of 13.22% between 2015 and 2020. Lithium-ion batteries are the fastest growing segment of the market.

Leadership

Standard Lithium's commitment to being a premier, innovation-driven company focused on developing and commercializing new modern processes for lithium extraction is bolstered by the leading experts that comprise the company's Scientific Advisory Council. Each member was selected because of their experience and expertise in areas that are central to and/or complement Standard Lithium's current development plans. Standard Lithium recently welcomed to the Council world-renowned chemist Dr. Barry Sharpless, the recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on chirally catalyzed oxidation reactions.

Standard Lithium is led by a team of professionals with proven strong technical and project development skills. CEO Robert Mintak has a global network of industry contacts and is a pioneer in the rapidly evolving lithium space. COO and President Dr. Andy Robinson is an experienced geoscientist with 20+ years of experience and a PhD in Geochemistry from the University of Bristol, UK. Dr. Robinson has worked on a wide range of projects in the resource, power and energy sectors in Europe, Africa, and North and South America.

The company recently appointed Robert Cross as non-executive chairman. Cross is an engineer with 25 years of experience as a financier and company builder in the mining and oil and gas sectors. He co-founded and serves as chairman of B2Gold, a top-performing growing gold producer which is expected to achieve nearly 1 million ounces of low-cost gold production in 2018. He was also co-founder and chairman of Bankers Petroleum Ltd.; co-founder and chairman of Petrodorado Energy Ltd.; and until October 2007 was the non-executive chairman of Northern Orion Resources Inc. He also was previously the chairman and CEO of Yorkton Securities Inc., and a partner in investment banking with Gordon Capital Corp. in Toronto. Cross has an engineering degree from the University of Waterloo (1982) and received an MBA from Harvard in 1987.

Following a multi-million-dollar financing in Q1 2018, Standard Lithium is well-positioned to meet its upcoming milestones including two maiden resource reports and the launch of its breakthrough rapid lithium extraction technology.

Sugarmade, Inc. (SGMD)

Sugarmade, Inc. (SGMD), one of the largest publicly traded hydroponics supply companies moving into the industrial hemp space, is a product and brand marketing company investing in products and brands with disruptive potential. Sugarmade's brands include: ZenHydro.com; CarryOutSupplies.com; and BudLife. Headquartered in Monrovia, California, a city within Los Angeles county, Sugarmade has various business operations in diverse marketplaces including packaging and paper goods for various industries, agricultural supplies.

Sugarmade has expanded into the European hydroponics supply market with a growing base of orders taken through Amazon UK. Over the past few financial quarters, Sugarmade has seen revenue growth patterns expand geographically. As recently as mid-2017, the majority of hydroponic-related revenue growth was seen from California and other West Coast marketplaces, however growth is becoming more geographically dispersed among U.S. states where legalization has eased restriction. This movement into the United Kingdom further expands the base of geographic growth areas for Sugarmade.

Sugarmade recently launched a new corporate initiative in the booming industrial hemp and CBD, committing up to $1 million in capital over the next 12 months to invest in Hempistry, Inc., a privately held Nevada corporation. Hempistry has begun planting an ultra-high cannabidiol (CBD) industrial hemp strain on a land option it holds on 23,000 acres of prime Kentucky farmland. The strain of industrial hemp being grown by Hempistry is ultra-rich in CBD but contains less than 0.3 percent of THC, the psychoactive ingredient found in cannabis. The U.S. hemp industry is expected to produce well over $1 billion in revenues in 2018, with a compound annual growth rate of 14 percent through 2022, according to the Hemp Business Journal.

Demand for industrial hemp and products derived from hemp is soaring, with no let-up in sight, which the company sees as a "tremendous opportunity to become a supplier to this fast-growing sector," said Chairman and CEO Jimmy Chan, who is also an advisor and minority shareholder of Hempistry.

Sugarmade's investment into the market for high-CBD hemp is expected to be highly accretive for common shareholders in two ways. First, Sugarmade's investment will be in the form of common shares in Hempistry allowing Sugarmade common shareholders to possibly benefit from any future initial public offering of Hempistry. Second, Sugarmade is expected to sign a supply agreement with Hempistry for cultivation supplies, which would be additive to corporate revenues.

Sugarmade has also completed a master market agreement with industry leader BizRight Hydroponics, Inc., a leading marketer and manufacturer of cannabis and hydroponic growth supplies, which offers a range of hydroponics-related products including: HPS grow lights, electronic ballasts, HPS bulbs, nutrient mixes, environmental control products, pH measurement and calibration solutions and storage products. BizRight operates the ZenHydro.com website and other e-commerce properties and sells various products to distributors and retailers. BizRight is expected to produce in excess of $30 million in revenues during 2017, with substantial growth expected for 2018.

Sugarmade division CarryOutSupplies.com, the leader in paper and plastic take-out supplies, serves nationwide customers by offering a wide array of high quality products that are cost-efficient, custom-made and delivered on time. This business unit currently serves 2,000 quick service restaurants, garnering from 30-40 percent of the market share. Sugarmade plans to expand operations via the addition of market share and the introduction of new product offerings.

Management

CEO Jimmy Chan is an experienced business executive instrumental in growing multiple business operations with a strong expertise in international trade and banking, and international manufacturing and importation. He is also the founder of CarryOutSupplies.com, a company that revolutionized the custom-printed paper supplies subsector of the quick service restaurant industry, which merged with Sugarmade in 2014.

Arman Tabatabaei serves as operations consultant, providing high-level, day-to-day strategic guidance and tactical operational supervision for all aspects of the corporation's business. He is an expert at data collection and analysis relative to resource management, risk forecasting and profit and loss management.

Sugarmade specializes in growing and acquiring innovative brands to maximize value for company employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. Sugarmade believes its future is very bright as the company expands operations within the cultivation sector and rapidly increases its revenue base.

Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX.V: FIRE) (OTC: SPRWF)

Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX.V: FIRE) (OTC: SPRWF) is committed to providing premium brands and products that reflect the company’s knowledgeable customers, passionate employees, and culture of innovation. Supreme Cannabis’ mission is to grow the world’s best cannabis and become a leader in the global industry. The company calls its Toronto Venture Exchange stock symbol FIRE “a testament to our passion for cannabis and our obsession with quality.”

Supreme Cannabis believes the world is ready to follow Canada’s lead by ending the 100-year cannabis prohibition and, as Canada’s only coast-to-coast premium cannabis producer, the company sees itself at the center of this global shift.

In August 2018, Supreme Cannabis uplisted its shares to the to OTCQX market in the U.S., where the company trades under the ticker symbol SPRWF. The following month Supreme reported record Q4 revenues of CAD$3.55 million, a 71-percent increase over the previous quarter. Supreme Cannabis also recorded revenue of CAD$8.85 million for its fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, placing it among publicly traded Canadian cannabis companies with the highest reported revenue in their first four quarters of sales.

“As a result of the successful execution of our strategy, we have generated significant revenue growth both for the quarter and the year-end period,” Supreme Cannabis CEO Navdeep Dhaliwal stated in a news release. “We look forward to building on this growth as we expand domestically and internationally.”

The company’s growth strategy includes key industry agreements, such as its CAD$12 million supply agreement with Tilray Inc. (OTC: TLRY), a global leader in cannabis research, cultivation, processing and distribution. The agreement calls for Supreme to supply Tilray with dried cannabis for support of medical cannabis patients in Canada for the period of one year.

Another key component is the company’s wholly owned 7ACRES subsidiary. The 7ACRES cultivation facility, one of the first 40 federally licensed cannabis producers in Canada, is focused on building a core competency in scaled cannabis production, which will give 7ACRES the needed flexibility to maintain leadership in the industry as the Canadian market grows and matures. Though 7ACRES is Supreme Cannabis’ flagship brand and only currently operating business unit, the company will continue to identify new opportunities to grow its portfolio of companies and build innovative cannabis businesses throughout the world.

7ACRES operates from a 342,000-square-foot cultivation facility in Kincardine, Ontario, and has been federally licensed since 2016. Current capacity is 13,333 kilograms dried cannabis annually, with plans to ramp up production by mid-2019 to a rate of 50,000 kilograms per year.

Supreme Cannabis seeks to differentiate 7ACRES from other licensed cannabis producers by producing premium quality product sustainably at scale. “Craft quality, commercial scale” is a slogan the company uses, and the Kincardine greenhouse employs state-of-the-art technology and cultivation best practices to strive toward that goal. Supreme identifies the quality of the 7ACRES product as the company’s primary strength and says a shared “passion for the plant” is the driver of company culture. Six Canadian provinces have signed supply agreements with Supreme, a fact the company credits to the high quality of 7ACRES cannabis.

Its customers, Supreme Cannabis management says, are informed and discerning regarding cannabis, and they value a premium brand that respects their product knowledge. The company believes its high regard for customers, premium product quality, and mass cultivation capability has allowed Supreme Cannabis to emerge as Canada’s preeminent premium cannabis producer. In the Canadian cannabis market, the company has established 7ACRES as a premium brand that’s distributed coast-to-coast and commands premium pricing. The 7ACRES brand is already listed as premium cannabis product in all provinces that disclose their cannabis listing categories, and 7ACRES on average wholesales for up to one-third higher in price than other brands in the Canadian cannabis market.

To further its distribution, in the medical cannabis market Supreme Cannabis has partnered with several Canadian cannabis retailers including Aurora Cannabis, Emerald Health Botanicals, Namaste, Zenabis, and others. The company’s investment portfolio also includes an equity position and long-term global distribution partnership with Medigrow, based in Lesotho, targeting the export of medical cannabis oil for the international market.

Supreme Cannabis seeks to make the company an innovator in the cannabis sector regarding design of cultivation facilities and development of operation excellence metrics. The management team is confident that the 7ACRES flagship brand, the company’s proprietary technology and products, and the company’s culture of passion for cannabis will deliver consistent long-term shareholder value.

The Green Organic Dutchman (TSX: TGOD) (OTC: TGODF)

The Green Organic Dutchman (TSX: TGOD) (OTC: TGODF), whose principal location is in Hamilton, Ontario, produces farm grown, organic, pesticide-free medical cannabis in small batches using all natural, organic craft growing principles. TGOD is licensed under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) to cultivate medical cannabis. The company carries out its principal activities producing cannabis pursuant to the provisions of the ACMPR and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada).

Committed to becoming the global leader in delivering organic cannabis solutions that enhance people's lives, TGOD consistently adheres to the highest levels of excellence. Its world-class management team includes a proven group of leaders with outstanding executive and operational experience specific to consumer packaged goods, consumer products, cannabis and finance industries.

TGOD is positioned as one of the highest quality and most cost efficient cannabis producers in Canada by leveraging innovative technology and low-cost power solutions. It holds one of the largest land packages under a single ACMPR license in Canada, providing future cannabis Agri-park style development and opportunities for joint ventures, licensing and distribution partners. Its industry leading alliance partners include Eaton, Ledcor Group and Hamilton Utilities Corp.

Eaton is the second largest power management company in the world and promises to supply innovative and cost effective power solutions to meet TGOD's growing demands. Construction management is supplied by Ledcor, Canada's second largest multidisciplinary construction company and a pioneer in the Green Building Industry. An alliance with Hamilton Utilities Corp allows TGOD to reduce its power costs from $0.13 per kWh to less than $0.05 per kWh. Greenhouse design is provided by Larssen Greenhouse, whose 25-plus years of experience in building some of the most modern and sophisticated greenhouses in the industry will provide TGOD with state of the art, climate-controlled hybrid greenhouse solutions.

Canada is quickly becoming a hub for cannabis investors with over $1.3 billion raised by Canadian companies to date. There are 58 licensed producers to service a population of 36 million and only two organic producers. TGOD, which holds licenses in Ontario and Quebec, is strategically located in both provinces that together claim 22 million Canadians as residents. Another estimated 57 million people live next door in six U.S. bordering states.

The Canadian cannabis market currently has a massive supply demand gap, which makes TGOD's expansion plans even more important to investors. These plans include a combined build-out capacity of 970,000 square feet, allowing TGOD to produce 116,000 kg annually of organic cannabis. Upon completion, Phase One in Hamilton, Ontario, which is fully funded, will provide 150,000 square feet of growing capacity capable of producing up to 14,000 kg of cannabis or $112 million in revenue at $8 a gram.

The company's Quebec expansion will be constructed on a recently secured 75-acre property near Montreal. This new property has a planned expansion of 820,000 square feet capable of producing 102,000 kg of organic cannabis. The first phase of this expansion is underway and construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. Quebec's first phase will consist of 220,000 square feet capable of producing 22,000 kg of cannabis. Two additional expansion phases will add 250,000 square feet (26,000 kg of cannabis) and 350,000 square feet (54,000 kg of cannabis). Power costs remain exceptionally low for both facilities with access to all other needed utilities available and close by.

TGOD also plans to gain a share of the burgeoning cannabis oils market which by Q1 2017 accounted for 49 percent of all cannabis sold in Canada under the ACMPR, up from only 27% in Q2 2016. TGOD has ordered a purpose-built extraction laboratory with an estimated commission in Q4 of 2017. This is a commercial-scale CO2 extraction unit capable of processing up to 12,000 kg of raw material per year and producing approximately $170 million worth of organic cannabis oils. Raw cannabis oil provides a significant downstream manufacturing opportunity into several potential recreational market verticals including edibles, beverages, topicals and concentrates.

Data from the Canadian ACMPR Market Trends report indicates a rising number of consumers will continue to seek out healthier, less conspicuous ways to consume cannabis, ensuring sales of organic cannabis oil products remain brisk. Organic cannabis products demand a significant premium compared to non-organic products and the demand keeps growing.

Plans to take the company public are underway with an initial public offering (IPO) slated for January 2018. In November, the company raised $13 million in equity financing and in March closed a $27 million non-brokered private placement. Another $20 million is currently being raised before the IPO in January, which will be utilized for expansion plans.

TGOD is uniquely positioned between the medical and recreational cannabis industry since Canada is scheduled to legalize cannabis for all adults in mid-2018. As of August 2017, TGOD has 2,400 shareholders. Established in 2012, TGOD's motto, "Making Life Better," can be seen in its strategic partnerships, top quality management team, and dedication to organic farming and principles.

Therma Bright, Inc. (TSX.V: THRM) (OTC: THRBF)

Therma Bright, Inc. (TSX.V: THRM) (OTC: THRBF) is a medical device technology provider focused on addressing dermatological needs in the multi-billion-dollar cosmeceutical industry. The company’s effective, non-invasive and pain-free skin care is based on proprietary technology which has received Class II medical device status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Therma Bright’s portfolio includes products, devices and treatments that have both cosmetic and medicinal or therapeutic benefits, such as for relief of pain, itch and inflammation resulting from more than 20,000 types of insect and marine life bites and stings, including bees, wasps, hornets, mosquitos, black flies and jellyfish.

The Company’s current focus is to market its products online through various social media networks, and to eventually re-establish relationships with major North American and Global retailers.

Products

The company currently has two products on the market and another in the research and development phase:

InterceptCS™ is a thermal therapy device for the treatment and prevention of cold sores caused by the herpes simplex Type 1 virus*. Symptoms typically include sores around the mouth and lips which InterceptCS™ treats by application of controlled topical heat with no risk of burning the skin. When used at the first sign of an oncoming cold sore application of InterceptCS™ can prevent symptoms from developing. Infrared energy and light from the device penetrate the skin killing cells infected with the virus.

InterceptCS™ is available without prescription and comprises a battery powered ergonomic hand-held unit and a disposable single-use treatment activator. Therma Bright has completed prototyping of multi-use activators for InterceptCS™. The company plans to bring to market 5, 10 or 20 multi-use activations at prices that will offer customers greater value than the current single-use activator.

The other Therma Bright product currently under development is TherOZap™, a next generation thermal therapy device powered by the company’s core technology, which is approved by the FDA as a Class II medical device for the relief of the symptoms of insect bites. Therma Bright is testing a new easier-to-use prototype of the device for effectiveness against Zika virus and other diseases carried by mosquitos. Once the technology proves effective, Therma Bright intends to seek regulatory approvals and extend the prototype enhancements to a new commercial version of TherOZap™.

Cannabis

Therma Bright is also conducting research and development on a unique thermal therapy device that would incorporate medical grade cannabis or cannabidiol (“CDB”) sourced from hemp as a cream or gel to provide relief of back, knee and other joint pain. In preparation, the company has incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary to hold any technology for use or application of cannabis. Once approvals are secured, the company plans to sell the device through licensed cannabis producers or retailers across Canada and in international markets where use of cannabis has been legalized. The company has initiated trademark and patent protection for its thermal therapy technology incorporating medical cannabis. Therma Bright has indicated it will seek an acquisition to help further development of this product.

Market Opportunity

A report by market intelligence firm Mordor Intelligence put the global cosmeceuticals market at a value of nearly US$47 billion in 2017 and projects it to be worth more than $80 billion by 2023, growing at a rate of almost 9.5 percent annually. Medical research estimates that somewhere between 20 percent and 40 percent of the population suffer occasional cold sore outbreaks. In Canada those figures would mean five to 10 million people, and in the U.S. some 40 million to 80 million, with recurring cold sores, representing a substantial potential market for Therma Bright.

Management

Rob Fia serves as Therma Bright chairman and CEO. Fia has extensive contacts in the investment community and the financial sector as well as knowledge of various Canadian stock exchange listing processes and requirements. His 18 years in the investment business has included equity research and advising promising early stage companies on corporate finance. Therma Bright CFO Victor Hugo is a senior financial analyst at Marrelli Support Services Inc., for which he provides CFO, accounting, regulatory compliance, and management advisory services to companies listed on the TSX, TSX Venture Exchange and other Canadian and US exchanges.

**Based on double blind placebo study, the InterceptCS™ is approved by Health Canada for the claim “For prevention of cold sores when used within 3 hours of the onset of the prodrome.” The InterceptCS™ is not approved by the United States FDA or any claim of clinical indication, clinical efficacy, and/or cure or prevention of disease.

TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FRA: TH8)

TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FRA: TH8) brings together a rapidly growing portfolio of cannabis and hemp-related brands and services, with a closed-loop ecosystem approach rooted squarely in the company’s ownership of a 196,000-square-foot, vertically integrated facility in California. The company has developed a two-year, four-phase plan aimed at developing proprietary brands and creating a self-contained ecosystem that ensures reliability, consistency, quality and scale.

Ecosystem

TransCanna’s cannabis facility in Modesto, California, is strategically located less than a three-hour drive from the majority of all major cities in the state. The tri-level building provides internal control of everything needed for the seed-to-sale cycle, from growing and manufacturing to extraction, bottling, transportation and distribution. The facility, which recently went through an US$8 million renovation, is upgraded with a premium quality HVAC system and highly insulated roof to help reduce power costs, which already are some of the lowest in California.

The company has set 2020 goal for implementation of its full-service software platform, 420 Global, which will interact with every aspect of production flow, business development and the sales process.

Growing Portfolio

Acquisitions slated to be completed in June include Goodfellas Group LLC, a full-service advertising and marketing agency for the U.S. cannabis and hemp industries. Under the deal, TransCanna will also be acquiring Daily Cannabis Goods, a pre-rolled brand with nominal start-up costs and superior SKU velocity with cannabis products available at more than 30 dispensaries throughout California.

On Deck

The company has moved to acquire organic hemp-infused CBD coconut oil Biovelle (www.Biovelle.com). Biovelle is non-GMO, vegan and gluten free, with coconut sourced from plantations in the Philippines and American grown hemp from farms in Colorado.

TransCanna has also moved to further secure a growing foothold in cannabis edibles via a non-binding letter of intent with Persuasion Brewing Co., located near the company’s flagship facility in Modesto. The goal is to establish a Persuasion Brewing division at the main facility, which will produce a variety of different CBD infusion non-alcoholic beers.

Similarly, the company has recently executed a non-binding LOI with SolDaze (Tres Ojos Naturals, LLC) to gobble up the branding asset package of this California manufacturer of cannabis-infused fruit snacks (www.soldazesnacks.com).

Management

TransCanna’s management team consists of seasoned agriculture and consumer goods-oriented veterans.

Director, CEO and Chairman James Pakulis has 30 years of experience working with public and private entrepreneurial companies in a variety of emerging sectors. He has been on the front lines of the California cannabis industry for nearly a decade. He was CEO and chairman in 2010 of General Cannabis, Inc., which wholly owned the popular Weedmaps brand. Pakulis oversaw the growth of General Cannabis from pre-embryonic stages to over $16 million in revenue in less than two years, reaching a market cap of approximately $480 million.

Director and President Arni Johannson brings over 30 years of investing experience in the Canadian capital markets. He has built and or funded over 50 startups from around the world. He is president of Canadian Nexus Ventures and has been instrumental in providing guidance to pre- and post IPO companies, as well as guidance and oversight for corporate governance.

Stephen Giblin, board director, is an accomplished leader in the global hospitality, technology and real estate industries with a demonstrated track record of value creation. Juan Pablo Flores, independent director, is an attorney with more than 25 years of legal experience with a strong background in municipal, government, real estate, corporate and general civil law litigation.

The company’s strategic advisors include individuals with extensive experience in branding, marketing, sales, distribution, production and supply chain management.

Trxade Group Inc. (TRXD)

Trxade Group Inc. (TRXD) is an integrated pharmaceutical services company that offers a unique combination of a web-based purchasing platform (www.trxade.com) for transactions between independent pharmacists and drug distributors (B2B); a network of pharmacies with E-Hub software; a mail order pharmacy; and warehouse and drug delivery services. This synergistic combination of product offerings and superior data analytics is poised to benefit all stakeholders and consumers within the pharmaceutical industry.

Trxade will leverage and scale its fully integrated model to execute the following growth strategies:

  • Increase share of pharmacist drug purchasing
  • Additional SKUs and expand product breath
  • Partner with Specialty and International Mfg.
  • Expand mail order licenses to all 50 states
  • Scale Delivmeds for consumer delivery nationwide
  • Integration with telemedicine
  • M&A Opportunities within drug value chain

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Trxade's overarching corporate strategy is to penetrate the existing retail independent pharmacy marketplace and diversify the company's pharmaceutical mix with additional specialty and acute care products. Trxade is advancing on this mission by focusing on three key niches in the health care market.

Business-to-Business (B2B)

The $330 billion U.S. pharmaceutical industry is comprised of more than 65,000 pharmacy facilities and 1,500 state-licensed suppliers. Roughly 24,000 of these facilities are independent pharmacies, which collectively spend approximately $93 billion a year on branded and generic drugs.

Trxade targets these independent pharmacies, leveraging a robust, "E-Bay/Kayak-like" technology platform with optimum buyer/seller pricing algorithms, product availability, and predictive data analytics features.

Trxade currently serves and transacts with more than one-third (10,250) of these independent pharmacies and facilitates over $10 million of drug purchases a month!

Consumer

Trxade also targets the "consumer side" of the pharmaceutical industry, aiming to lower prescription drug costs by attacking the inefficient value chain; offering drug price transparency and efficient buying; and, delivering drugs DIRECT to independent pharmacists and consumers.

The company operates a full-service mail order pharmacy for U.S. consumers, as well as a mobile app called "Delivmeds" (http://www.delivmeds.com) which enables SAME DAY home delivery of dispensed prescriptions.

Retail

Trxade's Managed Services Organization ("TrxadeMSO") enables its member independent retail pharmacies to get patients, process orders, and deliver or ship prescriptions to patients. TrxadeMSO provides access to encompassing network of pharmacies through the E-Hub software, allowing for timely and comprehensive medication fulfillment.

These offerings ensure the best-suited pharmacy receives the patient's information, thereby ensuring appropriate medication coverage based on the patient's location, payor coverage, and medication access/inventory. This will save the clinicians and their staff time as they benefit from efficiency and enhanced workflow management in script processing and fulfillment.

Health Care Market

The U.S. health care market currently hovers near $4 trillion and is expected to grow as the general population ages. This growth will have greater impact on consumers as out-of-pocket expenses also rise. Additionally, drug costs are paced to increase faster than the overall health care and well above inflation.

Drug pricing is variable, and reimbursement is squeezing profits. This provides significant opportunity for the Trxade model of price visibility and profit optimization.

Trxade's fair online market platform targets the nation's retail community and independent pharmacies, of which there are approximately 24,000 nationwide. TRxADE has found that independent pharmacies, in order to be cost-effective, often operate with minimal staff and conduct up-to-the minute price checks. The TRxADE S2P platform gives these pharmacists the ability to easily compare the price of drugs offered by various suppliers and select the most favorable deals, saving money by taking advantage of best purchase pricing.

TRxADE's programs include:

  • TRxADE Exchange, which opens and widens the distribution channel to the retail, community pharmacy. A purchasing pharmacy can view products from manufacturers, buying groups, and wholesalers on a real-time and continuous basis. This approach significantly enhances the competitive spirit of the exchange where the lowest price exists for each product at any given point in time. TRxADE has become a competitive tool for all progressive entities and is recognized for its easy searching of hard-to-find generic pharmaceuticals at substantially reduced prices.  
  • RX Guru™ is an industry-leading price prediction model that integrates product shortage insight into pharmacy acquisition benchmarks ("PAC") to ascertain trends and pricing variances that result in significant purchasing opportunities. RX Guru affords members the opportunity to continuously benefit from real price purchasing opportunities that are concealed from the rest of the industry. 
  • Product Shortage Database – TRxADE maintains the most comprehensive retail, specialty and acute care pharmaceutical product shortage database in the country. Other industry competitors mainly restrict their efforts to specialty and acute care product shortages and narrowly research oral generic products. TRxADE's advanced prediction tools help members source those hard-to-find products at affordable costs in a timely and easy-to-search process. 

Management Team 

Trxade's management team is rich in expertise within the pharmaceutical supply chain and is supported by a base of advisors and contractors who are experts in related fields of the pharmaceutical sector.

Suren Ajjarapu – Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary
Suren Ajjarapu has served as Trxade's chairman of the board, CEO and secretary since 2014, and as the chairman of the board, chief executive officer and secretary of Trxade Nevada since its inception. Ajjarapu also serves as a chairman of the board for Feeder Creek Group Inc., since March 2018. Ajjarapu formerly was a founder, CEO and chairman of Sansur Renewable Energy Inc., a company involved in developing wind power sites in the Midwest, United States; a founder, president and director of Aemetis Inc., a biofuels company (AMTX.OB); a founder, chairman and CEO of International Biofuels, a subsidiary of Aemetis Inc.; and a co-founder, COO, and director at Global Information Technology Inc., an IT outsourcing and systems design company. Ajjarapu holds an M.S. in environmental engineering from South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, and an MBA from the University of South Florida, specializing in international finance and management. Ajjarapu is also a graduate of the Venture Capital and Private Equity program at Harvard University.

Prashant Patel – Director, President and Chief Operating Officer
Prashant Patel has served as Trxade's full-time president and COO, and as a director since the company's acquisition of Trxade Nevada in 2014, and as the COO and president and as a director of Trxade Nevada since its inception. He has been a president and member of the board of Trxade since August 2010. Patel is a registered pharmacist and pharmaceutical consultant with over 10 years of experience in retail pharmacy and pharmaceutical logistics. He is the founder of several pharmacies in the Tampa Bay area, in Florida. Since 2008, Patel has been managing member of the APAA LLC pharmacy. Since 2007, Patel has been a vice president of Holiday Pharmacy Inc. Patel graduated from Nottingham University School of Pharmacy and practiced in the United Kingdom before obtaining his masters in Transport, Trade and Finance from Cass Business School, City University, UK.

VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX.V: VIVO) (OTC: VVCIF)

VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX.V: VIVO) (OTC: VVCIF) is a globally licensed, cost efficient producer of premium quality, organic, standardized medicinal cannabis. One of the earliest licensed medical marijuana producers under Canada's federally-controlled Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), VIVO has five years of operating experience in the burgeoning medical marijuana space through its flagship operation, ABcann Medicinals, Inc. The company recently received its Health Canada license to produce medical cannabis oils and is working toward production of saleable, extracted, finished products that will lead to a final inspection allowing sales of its oils.

"Receipt of the license to produce cannabis oils is a major milestone in our pursuit to provide our medical cannabis patients with additional product formats that can be precisely dosed. The expansion and innovation of our product lines are a top priority for the Company as we continue to serve the needs of our customers, and we anticipate strong demand for our cannabis oil products," VIVO CEO Barry Fishman said.

VIVO owns and operates a fully functioning 14,500 square foot facility in Napanee, Ontario, which is being doubled in size to produce 1,400 kg of cannabis per year. The company's expansion plans include adding a seasonal greenhouse and a hybrid, multipurpose facility, capable of producing 31,000 kg of cannabis per year between the two facilities, to be constructed on 65 acres it already owns near the Napanee facility. This additional location is properly zoned with existing infrastructure in place for an eventual 1.2 million square feet of production space.

VIVO has built a reputation over the years for its best-in-class standardized approach to growing cannabis that includes the absence of pesticides and a computer monitored growing technique that provides a consistent, pharmaceutical-grade with high yields. The company's custom, scalable growing chambers with proprietary lighting can be replicated anywhere in the world, leading to lower production costs. This technique has helped it record a customer retention rate of 94.7 percent alongside 30 percent month-over-month customer growth. When combined with VIVO's current yield rate, which it has measured at roughly 100 percent greater than the industry average, the company has constructed a strong foundation upon which to build a sizable presence in the global cannabis industry.

This global growth potential is illustrated by VIVO's partnership with Israel's Syqe Medical, producer of the world's first selective-dose pharmaceutical grade medicinal plant inhaler. After visiting VIVO's production facility, Perry Davidson, founder of Syqe Medical, noted that the company's production technologies put it "in a class with the best in the world" in its ability to produce standardized pharmaceutical grade cannabis.

VIVO's recent acquisition of Harvest Medicine Inc. represents further progress toward the company's goal of becoming a vertically integrated medical cannabis company. Harvest Medicine is one of the fastest growing medical cannabis clinics in Canada – adding over 1,200 new patients monthly from a single location – with an aggressive expansion plan and a patient-focused approach that perfectly aligns with VIVO's philosophy of quality and innovation.

VIVO's seasoned management team, board of directors and advisory board features well over a century of combined industry experience. Fishman, who has over 20 years of experience as a business leader, previously served as CEO of both Teva Canada and Taro Canada, as vice president of marketing at Eli Lilly Canada, and as past chair of the Canadian Generic Manufacturers Association. He most recently served as CEO of international specialty pharmaceutical company Merus Labs.

Notably, VIVO also has access to the 'Father of Cannabis Research', Raphael Mechoulam, PhD, through its board of advisors. An organic chemist and professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mechoulam was the first scientist to isolate both cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). He has received more than 25 prestigious academic awards, including the Rothschild Prize in Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences in 2012.

With more than 65 acres of growth capacity, a healthy cash balance to fund upcoming construction efforts, steady sales growth, industry-leading yield rates and an established operations team in place, VIVO is well positioned to compete in the rapidly expanding Canadian cannabis industry and beyond.

VPR Brands, LP (VPRB)

VPR Brands, LP (VPRB) is an innovative technology holding company whose assets include patented atomization-related products and technology. VPR Brands' current lineup of products includes accessories and vaporizers for cannabidiol (CBD), cannabis concentrates and extracts. The company is also engaged in product development within the vaping market and partners with top international brands to elevate their products within the vaping industry.

VPR Brands employs a growth strategy centered on high-performance, high-quality products that build exponential brand equity, awareness and loyalty. The company's current product portfolio is comprised of the following:

  • GoldLine combines premium ingredients and extracts coupled with the newest in technology to achieve the ultimate selection of cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp-based products available anywhere. The product range is designed for a wide variety of consumers and features edibles such as gummies and pure honey stix, tinctures, pre-rolled flower, vapable products and creams. For more information please visit www.cbdgoldline.com.
  • HoneyStick is a lifestyle brand that combines the features of high tech, high performance, dependability and affordability when it comes to upper tier vaporizers. HoneyStick was first to market in creating a Sub Ohm vaporizer to the latest Ripper and Plasma GQ. The HoneyStick team works with a vast network of growers, extractors and industry figures to bring the needs of patients and recreational users to life. HoneyStick is sold online and through a diverse network of distributors, e-tailers, dispensaries and smoke shops. For more information about HoneyStick, visit www.vapehoneystick.com.
  • Helium brings the vaping experience to a new level with intense flavors that are steeped to perfection and chilled at 20 degrees below room temperature. Helium's chillers are scientifically proven to preserve flavor, freshness and aroma. Helium is in a 50ml durable and squeezable bottle with drip tip that is functional from the start, engineered to deliver 77 percent VG.
  • Vaporin delivers Sub Ohm series starter kits. Vaporin also provides an eye-catching display case with multi-packs of selected starter kits, coils and premium e-liquids for retail and dispensary operations.
  • Vaporx offers the most current, highest quality products from the best-known brands, including KangerTech, eLeaf, Aspire, Pioneer4You, JoyeTech, Samsung. Vaporx acts as an extension to a client's purchasing department, providing the option to schedule regular product mix refresh for maximum sales.
  • GoldLine Hemp products are developed specifically for the convenience store market segment. GoldLine Hemp-only products are created without CBD, providing an alternative product line for consumers who are not ready to experience CBD products but still want to take advantage of this rapidly expanding class of products. GoldLine Hemp-only edible Hemp Gummies debuted at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Expo in Las Vegas in October 2018 and are now being distributed nationwide. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 154, 000 stores nationwide, serves 160 million customers daily and has sales that are 10.8% of the total U.S. retail and food service sales. Visit www.goldlinehemp.com for more information about GoldLine Hemp-only products.
  • Vapor Store Direct in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is one of the largest vaporizer and e-liquid wholesalers in the United States. Vapor Store Direct stocks internationally elite brands, vaporizers, tanks/atomizers, coils, e-liquid, e-cigarettes, batteries, glass and accessories.

Management Team

CEO Kevin Frija is a veteran entrepreneur with nearly 30 years of experience in sourcing, manufacturing, supply chain management, marketing, advertising and brand licensing. In 2009, Frija became the president and chief executive officer of Vapor Corp., one of the first U.S. importers and publicly traded electronic cigarette companies. In 2016, Frija purchased the brands and wholesale business assets from Vapor Corp., which is now owned by VPR Brands. Under his leadership, VPR Brands is pivoting toward cannabis products which is increasing sales and profit margins.

Dan Hoff, chief operating officer, has worked in the vaporizer and e-cigarette industry, serving in various positions at Vapor Corp., including overseeing the financial management, accounting functions, supply chain management, product design and development, and key vendor relations. He has played a pivotal role in building and expanding the cannabis-based products division at VPR Brands, which includes a turnkey OEM vapor solutions program available to farmers, cultivators and extractors. Hoff received his bachelor's degree from the University of Miami School of Business.

Wildflower Brands Inc. (CSE: SUN) (OTCQB: WLDFF)

Wildflower Brands Inc. (CSE: SUN) (OTCQB: WLDFF) is a public cannabis company developing and designing brands that focus on plant-based wellness and health products. Wildflower markets its full-spectrum CBD products to retailers in the health and wellness space throughout the United States and in legal cannabis markets in accordance with regulations marketing its THC and CBD products.

Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Wildflower employs a unique and holistic business model that encompasses research and development, manufacturing, distribution, marketing and retail. First launched in 2012 as a private company with a cannabis-focused brand, Wildflower went public in 2014 and has since reached numerous significant milestones in its drive to create brands that work in synergy toward becoming a global wellness brand leader.

Gathered within the growing family of Wildflower brands are the following entities:

  • Wildflower Wellness is known for its reputable brand, uncompromising quality and mission to connect people with the healing power of plants. Wildflower Wellness offers CBD vaporizers, capsules, tinctures, soaps and topicals that are backed by a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. Wildflower Wellness offers a full lineup of full spectrum CBD extract infused products made in the U.S. in Wildflower’s GMP facilities which are always third-party lab tested for quality assurance and accurate labeling.
  • King Extracts is a California-based company focused on cannabis technology and delivery systems. The King Recharge is a discreet, 97mm small, rechargeable vaporizer with a sleek pocket-sized charging and storage case. King concentrates are clean and sophisticated blends made from CO2 extractions that are fractionally distilled for clarity and purity with proprietary terpenes blended in to deliver a robust, full-flavor profile. King products are available at 26 select, regulated retail dispensaries in California.
  • Exclusive is a dispensary of high-quality cannabis products and accessories serving the city of Los Angeles, California. The company enjoys a close association with select hospital oncology departments and community programs.

Using the slogan “Plants Heal,” Wildflower’s distribution network in the U.S. includes 200+ retailers in Washington state and 20+ retailers in New York City. Wildflower has also partnered with Retail Worx to establish shop-in-shop retail locations in the heart of New York City which pairs nicely with the introduction of Wildflower into existing Bridges General’s stores in New York City and San Francisco. Through this partnership with Retail Worx, Wildflower by Bridges General stores will have exclusive product offerings in addition to the full lineup of existing Wildflower Wellness CBD products. Distribution in other U.S. markets includes 80+ wellness and healthcare practitioners with a total distribution of over 300 stores nationwide.

Wildflower holds 14 California cannabis licenses that cover recreational and medical cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and retail/delivery in the jurisdictions of California state and the city of Los Angeles. Opportunities to activate these licenses creates the phenomenal potential of driving significant revenues while minimizing risk. Expansion plans into Canada are underway with discussions centered on retail acquisitions and Wildflower launching into over-the-counter market with its CBD product line. Global expansion is a key part of Wildflower’s strategy with initial plans aimed at specific international markets where regulatory hurdles are less restrictive.

In December 2018, Wildflower began on-demand, legal and licensed cannabis delivery services to adult consumers in the Los Angeles area and has hired dozens of full-time delivery drivers to accommodate this unmet need. Wildflower has partnered with leading technology and logistics company Eaze.com to help route deliveries efficiently, manage inventory and comply with California law. Providing legal, licensed delivery services helps to ensure that all adults including those with mobility challenges and limited access to transportation services can purchase high quality, legal cannabis products.

Wildflower’s direct-to-consumer online store sales have shown an organic growth. The Company recently achieved over 300 percent growth in online sales since January 2018 with annualized revenues exceeding $1 million for online sales only, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of increased revenue.

Core Team

William MacLean is the founder and CEO of Wildflower Brands Inc. His involvement in all aspects of the business from product R&D to manufacturing setup has led the Company to its current success. MacLean is a seasoned sales professional with over 20 years of experience in various industries from advertising and marketing to medical sales. While in the advertising and marketing space, his clients included major brands including: Bell, Remax, BC Hydro, and Royal Bank.

CFO Stephen Pearce is a director and officer of a number of public companies in the resource sector. His professional experience as a practicing attorney is primarily in corporate and securities work. Pearce’s academic background includes an honors bachelor’s degree in economics from York University, in which he focused specifically on corporate finance. Pearce obtained a law degree from the University of British Columbia.

Alfred Kee, COO, is a business technology leader with over 15 years of experience in building high performing teams at small startups to large enterprises. With foundations in running large scale business critical technology and user experience product management mindset, Kee excels at guiding teams to deliver business value with agility. His knowledge and experience were honed while working with Electronic Arts, KPMG, CenturyLink, Cisco and Apple, as well as a string of successful startups. Lee brings a global perspective having lived and worked through parts of the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia.

Creative Director Amy Yamamura is a founding member of Wildflower and has been a driving force behind the Company from the start, creating the Wildflower brand. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in communications from Boston University, Yamamura returned to Tokyo to develop her career in TV as an international business correspondent coordinating collaborative projects between top creators around the world and corporations. Yamamura’s unique experience in working closely with successful Japanese brands like UNIQLO has given her exceptional eyes for branding a company.

Willow Biosciences Inc. (CSE: WLLW)

Willow Biosciences Inc. (CSE: WLLW) is a leading developer of biosynthetic production systems for high-value, plant-derived active pharmaceutical ingredients (“APIs”) and intermediates. The company’s cannabidiol (“CBD”) yeast-based biosynthesis program produces a high yield, ultrapure, low-cost and scalable manufacturing solution for pharmaceutical, food, beverage and personal care consumers of CBD.

The company is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Biosynthesis Platform

Willow’s proprietary yeast-based lab strains produce CBD, tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”), and cannabigerol (“CBG”), as well as certain minor and novel cannabinoids.

The company’s expertise in the esoteric field of biosynthesis and in delivering commercial fermentation pathways for the production of pharmaceutical-grade compounds grew from its origins in opiate research. Willow recently delivered a de novo biosynthesis pathway in yeast for thebaine, a key precursor API used as a feedstock in the manufacture of semi-synthetic opiates such as naloxone (used to reverse opioid overdose) and several common analgesics. Led by Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Peter Facchini, Willow’s research team discovered and patented numerous previously unknown genes coding for core catalytic pathway enzymes, as well as a number of additional non-pathway, yet commercially-essential, accessory genes.

Utilizing this proven synthetic biology platform, Willow’s research team has already begun producing cannabinoids at lab scale, using yeast as the host cell “factory”. This biosynthetic fermentation-based process is capable of producing pharmaceutical grade CBD in 10 days – far less time than traditional plant-based extraction methods.

Willow anticipates its technology can be scaled to produce hundreds of kilograms per batch of cannabinoid API at less than $1,000 per kilogram, thus costing approximately 60% less than current chemical synthesis methods and 90% less than conventional plant-based extraction methods.

World-Class Collaboration

Willow and Noramco Inc., the world’s largest producer of high-quality synthetic cannabinoid APIs and other controlled substance APIs for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, have an exclusive, worldwide Joint Development Agreement (“JDA”) to design a yeast-based biosynthesis platform for the production and distribution of a highly pure CBD isolate.

The mutually exclusive agreement calls for Willow to be responsible for optimizing yeast strains in a biosynthetic process to generate ultrapure CBD at high yield and substantially lower cost compared to current methods. Noramco will leverage its decades of experience in producing and delivering CBD and pharmaceutical APIs by being responsible for the scale-up, regulatory submission, marketing and distribution of products manufactured under the JDA.

Each company will invest comparable funds, will retain the intellectual property associated with their respective scopes of work and share equally in gross profits from sales of products manufactured under the JDA.

Market Opportunity

The agreement with Noramco (http://nnw.fm/Mz1vW) addresses the increasing demand for CBD-based APIs and other CBD-infused products by pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, consumer packaged goods, beverages and other industry sectors.

The U.S. market potential of cannabinoids is significant, with industry analysts projecting $50 billion in cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical sales and $16 billion in CBD consumer goods retail sales by 2025. As of June 2019, 34 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands have legalized cannabis for medical use. Another 13 states and territories have approved recreational cannabis for adult use while other states are considering similar measures.

The cannabinoid API market continues to evolve with CBD and other cannabinoid-based treatment options currently in clinical trials for indications such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, schizophrenia, cancer treatments and other challenging unmet medical conditions.

Capitalization

Willow is fully funded after raising $29 million via private placement and $8 million in exercised warrants by Tuatara Capital Fund II, L.P. Proceeds of the funding will be used to enhance the existing laboratory space in Calgary and Vancouver, Canada, and in San Francisco, California. The company anticipates exiting 2020 with $15.8 million in cash.

Leadership

President and CEO Trevor Peters is an experienced executive who co-founded four startup companies in the past 15 years. He has raised over $1 billion in equity and debt financings at various stages of corporate development and has been integral to successful transactions totaling over $4 billion on sale. Mr. Peters previously was chief financial officer at Caracal Energy Inc., which sold to Glencore plc in 2014 for $1.8 billion.

Chief Financial Officer Travis Doupe has over 18 years of experience in financial leadership roles, principally in the international oil and gas industry, where he provided corporate strategic direction while overseeing all aspects of financial operations. Mr. Doupe is the treasurer and a member of the board of directors of the Canada Council for the Americas – Alberta and holds a CA-CPA designation and earned a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Peter Facchini, Chief Scientific Officer, has been professor of plant biochemistry in the department of biological sciences at the University of Calgary since 1995. He is the Canada research chair in Plant Metabolic Processes Biotechnology and has published more than 150 research papers and scholarly articles. Dr. Facchini received a PhD from the University of Toronto and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Kentucky and Université de Montréal.

Dr. Joseph Tucker, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, holds more than 20 issued or pending patents and is a member of the Board of Directors of BioAlberta. He has extensive senior leadership experience in multiple public and private biotech companies. Dr. Tucker received a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Calgary.

Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI)

Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) is a leading omni-direct lifestyle company offering a hybrid of the direct selling business model that includes e-commerce and the power of social selling. Among the Top 100 Global Direct Selling Companies, Youngevity offers products from the six top selling retail categories: health/nutrition, home/family, food/beverage (including coffee), spa/beauty, apparel/jewelry, and a range of innovative services. Created through the 2011 merger of Youngevity Essential Life Sciences with Javalution® Coffee Company, today's Youngevity International Inc. is a virtual worldwide Main Street of products and services under one corporate entity that supports a healthy and empowered lifestyle.

Youngevity International is dedicated to improving lifestyles through the universal desires of vibrant health and flourishing economics. Catering to health-conscious consumers, Youngevity believes that combining the best of the direct selling industry with the fundamentals and capabilities of a traditional business model will maximize shareholder value. The company's Nutritional, Lifestyle and Telecommunications products and services are distributed through a global network of Preferred Customers and Distributors.

Youngevity's wholly owned CLR Roasters LLC business line offers quality branded and private label coffee to retail stores, office coffee services, hospitality, food services, distributors, convenience, petrol stores and vending businesses. Today, CLR Roasters is the largest coffee provider for cruise lines in North America and the second largest roaster in the state of Florida. Producing a consistent premium product with superior taste, CLR Roasters has earned numerous certifications that demonstrate the company's commitment to the craft of providing the highest quality coffee products using the best practice standards available.

Youngevity, operating in the direct-selling channel, is rapidly expanding its product and distributor base through acquisitions and mergers under an innovative concept called "the Network Cloud" that provides other direct selling companies with a home base. The company's YoungevityGO2 mobile distributor app, a new technology-driven web platform supporting expansion of global e-commerce and social selling platforms, is available on Google Play and the App Store. In addition to the Network Cloud concept, Youngevity International owns CLR Coffee Roasters which operates a traditional coffee roasting business offering a JavaFit® gourmet product line that vertically integrates with Youngevity and its growing network of direct marketers.

Youngevity International offers more than 1,000 high quality, technologically advanced products under the following categories:

  • Health and Nutrition
  • Home and Family
  • Food and Beverage
  • Spa and Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Essential Oils
  • Photo and scrapbooking
  • Services for Home and Business

Youngevity International Inc. has compiled a best-in-class management team with a strong track record of success in private and public companies. Steve Wallach, CEO, has nearly two decades of sales and network marketing experience and has successfully guided Youngevity International Inc. to become an international, publicly-traded direct marketing company positioned for worldwide growth. Dave Briskie, president and CFO, has shepherded the company's development into a fully vertical coffee roasting and distribution company that owns the direct marketing brand JavaFit® and the retail brand, Café La Rica.

Youngevity has also attracted a stunning group of Brand Evangelists who endorse its products. Among these are actress, author and well-known health and wellness activist Marilu Henner; former NBA basket player, Mike "Stinger" Glenn; former NFL wide receiver Drew Pearson; "Greatest Natural Bodybuilder in the World" Gene Nelson; and WNBA champion, Olympic gold medalist Delisha Jones.