Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF).

Ucore, a company engaged in the exploration for and separation and scalable production of REEs in Canada and the US, views China's recent ban on the export of technology to produce rare earth permanent magnets as an opportunity

Through this ban, the company looks to grow and assert its dominance in the sector, all while doing away with dependence on China

This is made possible by its RapidSX(TM) technology, which it has been slowly perfecting

It is also made possible by its  Demonstration Program, along with its Louisianna facility that sets it on track to separating friendly REEs and OEMs by 2025

Ucore Rare Metals (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF), engaged in the exploration for and separation and scalable production of rare earth elements ("REEs") in Canada and the U.S., is looking to double down on its unique method of separation and refining of rare earth elements, an approach that it is confident will assert its market dominance, and stamp its position as an industry leader. This comes in the wake of China announcing a ban on the export of technology to produce rare earth permanent magnets, along with the ban on technology associated with the separation of REEs in what experts in the field have termed as an "REE race" (https://ibn.fm/ehEYY).

Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) is a critical metals (“CM”) separation technology company executing an ESG-centered plan toward establishing a comprehensive North American critical metals supply chain. The company has developed a transformative commercial-ready technology, RapidSX™, for separating and purifying critical metals. Ucore intends to deploy this technology in pursuit of a CM supply chain independent of China for Western original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), most notably in the automotive and renewable energy industries.

Ucore’s vision is to become a leading advanced technology company providing best-in-class metal separation products and services to the mining and mineral extraction industry. Its initial focus is on processing heavy and light rare earth elements (“REEs”), disrupting a supply chain that is dominated by China.

China currently controls about 80% of the world’s access to REE mining projects and over 90% of the world’s REE processing capabilities, and it produces about 95% of the goods containing REE components.

Ucore is working to scale Western supply needs by establishing REE separation and rare earth oxide (“REO”) production capabilities in cooperation with strategic upstream supply and downstream offtake partnerships. The company, along with its industry partners, aims to unlock access to Western REEs for current consumer, energy, manufacturing and military sectors.

By 2025, Ucore expects to commercially separate U.S.-friendly sources of REEs and supply OEMs with REOs required to produce rare earth permanent magnets (“REPMs”) – the essential component of electric motors and generators required to support the world’s transition to electrification and sustainable energy sources.

The company intends to contribute to this initiative through the near-term development of a heavy and light rare-earth processing facility in Louisiana and subsequent development of Strategic Metals Complexes (SMCs) in Alaska and Canada, as well as through the longer-term development of its 100%-owned Heavy Rare Earth Element (HREE) mineral resource property at Bokan Mountain on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska.

Ucore is headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Projects & Technology

RapidSX™ Demonstration Plant

The Kingston, Ontario, RapidSX™ Demonstration Plant commissioning process is underway. Once commissioned, the plant is designed to demonstrate the commercial capabilities of the RapidSX technology platform.

The RapidSX demo plant will show:

• The techno-economic advantages of the RapidSX technology platform
• The processing of tens of tons of heavy and light mixed rare earth element concentrates in a simulated production environment
• The platform’s ability to operate for thousands of semi-continuous run-time hours
• Production of high-purity NdPr, praseodymium, neodymium, terbium and dysprosium rare earth elements for early OEM product qualification trials

The demo plant is located within Ucore’s 5,000-square-foot RapidSX Commercialization and Demonstration Facility and is run by its laboratory partner, Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc. (“KPM”).

RapidSX™ Technology

Innovation Metals Corp., acquired by the company in 2020, developed the RapidSX separation technology platform with early-stage assistance from the United States Department of Defense, later resulting in the production of commercial-grade, separated rare earth elements at pilot scale.

RapidSX combines the time-proven chemistry of conventional solvent extraction (SX) with a new column-based platform that significantly reduces time to completion and plant footprint, as well as potentially lowering capital and operating costs. SX is the international REE industry’s standard commercial separation technology and is currently used by all REE producers worldwide for bulk commercial separation of both heavy and light REEs.

Utilizing similar chemistry to conventional SX, RapidSX is not a “new” technology, but it represents a significant improvement on the well-established, well-understood, proven conventional SX separation technology preferred by REE producers.

Strategic Metals Complex

Ucore, engineering partner Mech-Chem Associates Inc. and KPM are developing the full-scale engineering for the company’s first Strategic Metals Complex (SMC). The SMC is a planned REE separation and rare earth oxide production plant slated to commence construction in Louisiana in 2023. It is scheduled to initially process 2,000 tons of total rare earth oxides by the end of 2024, increasing to 5,000 tons in 2026.

The company has three initial U.S.-friendly feedstock agreements in place for the Louisiana complex, along with multiple developing offtake agreements. It received a C$16 million+ incentive package offer from Louisiana Economic Development to support construction of the SMC.

Bokan-Dotson Ridge REE Deposit

Ucore has invested over C$35 million to establish and validate the Bokan-Dotson Ridge resource in preparation for mine design and permitting. Initial drilling is complete, and a Preliminary Economic Assessment has been issued. Next steps for the project include a feasibility study, detailed mine design and permit acquisition. The project can be “near shovel ready” for construction in less than 30 months after receipt of the next stage of development funding.

Market Opportunity

According to a report by Grand View Research, the global rare earth elements market was valued at $2.8 billion in 2018 and is forecast to reach a value of $5.6 billion by 2025, achieving a CAGR of 10.4% during the period. Market growth is driven by increasing demand for these elements in the manufacturing of magnets and catalysts for the automotive industry. Rising demand for electric vehicles to reduce CO2 emissions is expected to propel the use of permanent magnets in the production of EV batteries.

China is the major producer and consumer of REEs. To maintain self-sufficiency and to meet future demand, China has been raising the export tariffs on rare earth elements shipped to various countries, including the U.S., Japan, India, Brazil and the European Union. This led to the current supply-demand gap in these countries, as they rely on imports from China.

China reduced the exports of REEs by 72% in the second half of 2010 to preserve its reserves of these elements and continues to export REEs at reduced levels, thereby affecting industries such as automotive, oil and gas, and electronics, which require an ample amount of rare earth elements.

Management Team

Pat Ryan, P.Eng., is Chairman and CEO of Ucore Rare Metals. He began as a director with the company when he developed a heightened interest in critical metals. Before joining Ucore, he founded and led a multimillion-dollar automotive OEM design and lean manufacturing company. His understanding of complex supply chains across international markets has led to a prime positioning as the global auto industry transitions to vehicle electrification. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Dalhousie University.

Peter Manuel is Vice President and CFO of Ucore. Prior to joining the company, he practiced as a Chartered Accountant for more than 17 years, providing consulting services to companies in a range of industries, with a focus on the financial services and resource sectors. He spent 10 years in England and Ireland providing assurance, strategic planning, corporate finance and other consulting services to a portfolio of both public and private entities. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Dalhousie University.

Michael Schrider, MEng, P.E., is Vice President and COO of Ucore. He is a multidisciplinary engineer who has been involved in manufacturing, engineering and managing complex structural and mechanical systems projects since 1989. He was the Founder, President and Chief Engineer of Schrider & Associates and Alton Bay Design, both engineering services firms. He holds a bachelor’s degree in naval architecture and marine engineering from the University of New Orleans and a master’s degree in mining, geological and geophysical engineering from the University of Arizona.

Mark MacDonald is Vice President of Investor Relations at Ucore. He has over 25 years of experience implementing award winning business development and marketing programs at regional and national levels. As Vice President of Sales, he was responsible for Mediapro Communication’s growth as AT&T Canada’s leading B2B sales partner. He subsequently became Atlantic Regional Vice President of AT&T Canada Corp. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University.

Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (UURAF), closed Tuesday's trading session at $0.645, up 0.624025%, on 46,260 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.395/$1.15.

Recent News

• Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) - Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) Doubling Down on Separation and Refining of Critical Metals Amid China's Ban on Export of Rare Earth Technology
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) Announces Participation at National Defense Industry Association Event
• China Bans REE Technology Exports, Cites 'National Security Concerns'

Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF).

Appia Rare Earths & Uranium (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0), a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors, has announced initial geochemical assay results from its 2023 drilling program; the program was conducted on the Magnet Ridge Zone at Appia's Alces Lake Project in northern Saskatchewan. According to the announcement, these significant findings "mark a pivotal milestone" in the company's focus and commitment to advance exploration and development initiatives within the prolific Athabasca Basin area. Highlights of the report include returned assays of up to 1.57 wt.% (15,700 ppm) total rare earth oxides ("TREO"), with thickness and grades increasing to the south-southeast; mineralization intervals occurring from near surface to less than 85 meters depth; and multiple intervals in 23-MR-002 and 23-MR-003, extending downward in a westerly direction. The company also noted that it plans future exploration to continue in the west-southwest, extending downward into current intersections toward the mineralization at Magnet Ridge West. "The 2023 Alces Lake exploration campaign completed a successful season of prospecting, channel sampling and diamond drilling across the entire large property," said Appia Rare Earths & Uranium lead geologist Kahlen Branning in the press release. "Specifically, here at Magnet Ridge, our team was able to delineate the SSE-most extent of the Magnet Ridge mineralization. Our prospecting team has uncovered a multitude of new, potential drill targets on the property that necessitate further detailed exploration, many of these display anomalous radioactive counts, from 5,000 counts per second (cps) to 40,000 cps. These new zones match our original hypothesis regarding the location of low-to-high-grade mineralization along the main regional shear zone and within the fold nose/hinge zone area of a large regional fold structure."

In addition, the company also announced a substantial increase in the total weighted average grade of drill hole PCH-RC-063 at its PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay project, which is located in Goias, Brazil. The company had reported on the drill hole in October 2023. The new announcement noted that the reverse circulation ("RC") PCH-RC-063 drill hole exceeded multiple intervals limits of detection ("LOD"), which prompted a reanalysis of the drilling results using methods designed for very high-grade samples, which was conducted by SGS Geosl Labs. The updated assays reveal a significant 42.2% increase in TREO and a notable 9.2% increase in magnet rare earth oxides ("MREO"). "These assays not only validate the extraordinary results of the PCH-RC-063 drill hole but also underscore the substantial high-grade potential mineralization in the SW Extension Zone," said Appia Rare Earths & Uranium CEO Tom Drivas in the press release. "We are excited about the possibilities revealed by these findings and advancing additional exploration and development efforts to fully tap into the promising potential of this high-grade zone."

To view the full press releases, visit https://ibn.fm/2QsTr and https://ibn.fm/8iD0I

Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) is a mineral exploration company focused on exploration activities at its newly acquired Cachoeirinha rare earths project (“PCH Project”) in Brazil, as well as delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements (REE) and gallium at its Alces Lake property in Saskatchewan. Other properties in Appia’s portfolio include its Elliot Lake Property in Ontario’s historic mining camp, with a large NI 43-101 uranium and rare earths resource. Fully funded with over $5 million (CDN) in cash, no debt, aggressive exploration currently underway, and experienced management, Appia is progressing rapidly on multiple fronts in highly desired market sectors.

The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Projects

PCH Project-Brazil

The PCH project hosts REE mineralization in both ionic clays developed from the weathering of alkaline granites and in-situ rare earth mineralization associated with the underlying granite and a carbonatite intrusion to depths greater than 100 meters. Sampling data shows enrichment in rare earth minerals to depths of between eight meters and +30 meters.

In early 2023, Appia announced a definitive agreement to acquire a 70% interest in the PCH Project, which is 17,551 hectares in size and located in the Tocantins Structural Province of the Brasília Fold Belt, Goiás State, Brazil. It is classified as an alkaline intrusive rock occurrence with the potential for highly anomalous REE and Niobium mineralization.

The region around Iporá, a city located roughly 30 km from the PCH Project, has significant mineral exploration and mining activity and well-developed infrastructure.

In July 2023, Appia commenced an aggressive auger and reverse circulation (RC) drill campaign to delineate a potential resource estimate at the PCH project. Initial results at the site revealed significant exploration potential with impressive values that often surpass known ionic clay deposits in Brazil, particularly for the highly valuable heavy rare earths Terbium and Dysprosium.

The auger holes drilled at Target 4 have exhibited a range of total REE grades, ranging from 274 ppm to 16,648 ppm (1.66%), with an average of 1,291 ppm total REE. The valuable rare earths used in magnet applications – praseodymium, neodymium, terbium and dysprosium (Pr, Nd, Tb, and Dy) plus yttrium (Y) accounted for approximately 14% of total rare earths, reaching a maximum of 28.4%. Notably, the deposit also contains anomalous values of niobium and scandium, with average values of 736 ppm for Nb and 62 ppm for scandium in a composite sample from Target 4.

Heavy rare earths (HREEs) show maximum values of 1,624 ppm and average values of 1,291 ppm, primarily as terbium and dysprosium. Light rare earths (LREEs) show maximum values of 14,024 ppm (1.54%) with an average of 1,145 ppm. Neodymium and praseodymium, the main magnetic light rare earths, show respective maximum values of 3,131 ppm (Nd) and 885 ppm (Pr) and average values of 216 ppm (Nd) and 61.7 ppm (Pr). The overall HRRE/LREE ratio has a maximum of 39.5% and an average value of 16.67%.

“Appia is thrilled with the progress made and the promising results thus far,” CEO Tom Drivas stated in a news release. “The company remains committed to advancing its exploration plans, aiming to promptly gather significant data throughout the year, and to work towards estimating a maiden mineral resource in the coming months.”

Alces Lake Project – Saskatchewan

Appia’s Alces Lake project, located in northern Saskatchewan, encompasses some of the highest-grade total and critical REEs and gallium mineralization in the world, hosted within several surface and near-surface monazite occurrences that remain open at depth and along strike.

Following the company’s acquisition of additional new mineral claims in the area in February 2023, Appia’s Alces Lake claim block now totals 38,522 contiguous hectares (95,191 acres) – 100% owned by the Company.

Appia announced the completion of a NI43-101 technical report on the property in June 2023, providing an update on exploration previously reported in March 2021.The report is available on SEDAR under the company’s profile.

Extensive diamond drilling and geophysics surveys are underway to explore a more than 25-kilometer structural corridor. In July 2023, the company issued an update on its diamond drill program having completed the first phase of drilling at the project’s Magnet Ridge Zone to further test the extent of the mineralization to the south south-east (SSE). President Stephen Burega noted the presence of “continued mineralization at significantly thicker intercepts.”

As part of its 2023 exploration program at Alces Lake, Appia plans to target priority areas that extend SSE from the Wilson, Richard, Charles, Bell, Ivan, Dylan, Dante and AMP zones through the Magnet Ridge Zone and beyond, covering an area extending approximately 20 kilometers in length and 5 to 7 km in width. Appia will also undertake reconnaissance drilling on priority regional geological and geophysical targets in the Western Anomaly area.

Other Projects

• Appia holds a total of 75,314 hectares (186,106 acres) of land on four uranium claim blocks in the prolific Athabasca Basin (Loranger, North Wollaston, Eastside and Otherside). Exploration plans for these properties are expected to be announced once permits are in hand.
• Appia also has a 100% interest in 12,545 hectares (31,000 acres), with rare earth element and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones, in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario.

Market Opportunity

A report from Mordor Intelligence forecasts the global REE market is expected to grow from 168 million tons in 2023 to 206.25 million tons by 2028, marking a CAGR of 4.19% during the forecast period. The market is gradually improving following the economic and production restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Factors driving the market’s growth include high demand from emerging economies and the dependency of environmentally friendly technologies on rare earth elements.

According to UxC, one of the nuclear industry’s leading market research and analysis companies, the uranium market is rapidly becoming production-driven, where spot and long-term prices more closely correlate to the marginal cost of uranium production.

Although global reactor requirements are projected to be flat through 2024, UxC forecasts that significant demand growth from 2025 to 2040 will necessitate new production as resources are exhausted at several uranium projects. In addition, a large percentage of production exists in regions of the world with high geopolitical risk, which makes the market vulnerable to future disruptions and price volatility.

Management Team

Tom Drivas is CEO of Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. He is an entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in various industries, including over 20 years in the mineral resource industry. He is also currently a director of Romios Gold Resources Inc., a publicly traded company he founded in 1995.

Stephen Burega is President of Appia. He brings 16 years of management and operations experience in the mining and natural resources sectors. His extensive emerging markets background, along with a deep understanding of stakeholder management, social development and structured community engagement, position him well to lead Appia’s First Nations community engagements. He is also President and CEO of Romios Gold Resources which is focused on base and precious metal exploration in North America.

Frank van de Water is the company’s CFO. He holds CPA and CA designations and has been involved with international mining, metals and resource companies in North America, Latin America, Europe and Africa for more than 40 years.

Dr. Irvine R. Annesley, Ph.D., is VP Exploration at Appia. He is a licensed geoscientist (P.GEO.) and Professor in Economic (Mining and Mineral Exploration) Geology at École Nationale Supérieure de Géologie in France and an Adjunct Professor in Geology at the University of Saskatchewan. He has over 35 years of global exploration and applied research experience in uranium, gold and base metals exploration, most recently with Athabasca uranium explorer JNR Resources Inc.

Don Hains, P.Geo., is the company’s Consulting Geologist and Qualified Person Consulting Industrial Minerals Expert.

Antonio Vitor is Appia’s Country Manager, Brazil. He has a track record as a portfolio manager and board member. He has held multiple significant positions, including Territory Manager at Shell, as well as Senior Project Planning and Consulting roles at PwC and Petrobras.

Jack Lifton is the company’s Senior Technical Advisor and Consultant. He is an author and lecturer on the market fundamentals of technology metals.

Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (OTCQX: APAAF), closed Tuesday's trading session at $0.16, up 8.1812%, on 111,980 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.075/$0.272.

Recent News

• Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) - InvestorNewsBreaks - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) Reports Significant Assay Results at Saskatchewan Project, Upgraded Results in Brazil Project
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) Expands Exploration Rights at PCH Rare Earths Ionic Adsorption Clay Project
• Appia Rare Earths & Uranium - A Year in Review

First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL) (OTCQB: FSTTF)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL) (OTCQB: FSTTF) .

First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL ) ( OTC: FSTTF ), reports that the Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources has added tellurium to its Critical Minerals List. The department notes that tellurium has become one of 30 minerals considered essential to Australia's modern technologies, economies and/ or national security, and that are vulnerable to supply chain disruption.

Australia joins the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, India and South Korea in designating tellurium as a critical mineral. "As world tensions and supply chain issues ratchet up, critical minerals like tellurium are becoming more important to technology and national security," said First Tellurium President and CEO Tyrone Docherty. "This is why both the U.S. and Canada are establishing significant funding for critical mineral exploration and production." Docherty noted that First Tellurium's Deer Horn Property in British Columbia holds more critical minerals than tellurium. "Deer Horn was staked originally for its tungsten, which is considered a critical mineral in Canada, the U.S. and a number of other countries," said Docherty. "In addition to tungsten, Deer Horn contains showings of the critical minerals bismuth and molybdenum, as well as copper, gold and silver."

First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL) (OTCQB: FSTTF) is committed to exploring for and providing essential and critical metals, including tellurium, gold, silver, copper and tungsten, for North American markets. This objective is anchored by the company’s Deer Horn tellurium-gold-silver-copper project in British Columbia, Canada, and further enhanced by its property option on the Klondike tellurium-gold prospect located in Colorado, USA.

First Tellurium’s unique business model is to generate revenue and value through mineral discovery, project development, project generation and cooperative access to untapped mineral regions in indigenous territory with sustainable exploration potential.

The company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Tellurium and the Green Energy Revolution

Tellurium has a key role to play in the ongoing green energy revolution. It is widely used in the manufacturing of photovoltaic cells for solar panels.

Despite this utility, ongoing trade tensions between China and the U.S. create implications for both tellurium and the production of cadmium-tellurium solar cells. Earlier this year, China announced plans to restrict exports of critical metals gallium and germanium, both essential for the production of semiconductors. For reference, China produces around 80% of the world’s gallium and approximately 60% of the world’s germanium.

China’s recent trade restrictions amplify the fragility of the North American tellurium supply, as the Asian nation currently produces about 60% of the world’s tellurium. This sustained supply vulnerability is why First Solar, the United States’ largest solar panel producer, set up a worldwide search for tellurium deposits in the mid-2000s.

“In North America alone, our understanding is that First Solar looked at over a hundred tellurium properties,” First Tellurium CEO Tyrone Docherty stated in a news release. “Their number one property by far, which they acquired, was the Colorado Klondike which we now control.”

The U.S. is now looking to secure safe, domestic sources of tellurium and many other critical metals to pre-empt potential shortages. The Biden administration has instituted a stream of policies, particularly the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, to source solar components from North America and other “friendly” jurisdictions.

As the only junior mining company in the world focused on tellurium exploration, First Tellurium is ahead of the curve in capitalizing on these initiatives to establish strategic, domestic supplies of key resources for solar panel manufacturers.

First Tellurium’s ESG Initiatives

Through its exploration and partnerships with Fenix Advanced Materials, Cheona Metals and IRMA, First Tellurium strives to generate a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return. The company conducts a diversified search for metals, working in alliance with indigenous peoples, NGOs, governments and leading metals buyers. First Tellurium believes this is the future of mineral exploration — generating revenue by exploring responsibly and leveraging diverse partnerships.

First Tellurium proudly adheres to, and supports, the principles and rights set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and, in particular, the fundamental proposition of free, prior and informed consent.

Projects

Deer Horn Tellurium-Gold-Silver-Copper Project

Deer Horn is located on 51.33 square kilometers (km) in west-central British Columbia, 36 km south of the prolific Huckleberry copper-molybdenum mine and 135 km southwest of the community of Burns Lake. It is one of few significant tellurium discoveries outside Asia and includes a 2.4 km-long vein system of high-grade gold, silver and tellurium, as well as broader zones of bulk-tonnage gold, silver and tellurium mineralization. The company completed a positive Preliminary Economic Estimate and has begun permitting for a 10,000-tonne bulk sample program to advance the project toward mine feasibility. It is North America’s only silver-gold-tellurium property with an NI 43-101 compliant tellurium resource, and it hosts a number of other mineralized targets and zone containing critical metals such as copper, tungsten and zinc.

First Tellurium owns 50% of the property, with an option to acquire up to a 75% interest. The company has engaged Dias Geophysical of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to conduct induced polarization (IP) geophysics on the Deer Horn Project in summer 2023. The program is designed to help develop drill targets for a subsequent drilling program.

Klondike Gold-Tellurium Project

The Klondike property is located in Saguache County, Colorado, southwest of Buena Vista in the state’s historical mining district. The company reports it has engaged Burgex Mining Consultants of Sandy, Utah, to stake additional claims around the Klondike property. The claims have been filed with the Bureau of Land Management.

Klondike demonstrates exceptional tellurium grades. Tellurium, used in high-efficiency cadmium telluride (Cd-Te) solar panels, next-generation lithium-ion batteries and thermoelectric devices to change heat into energy, is an essential element for the world’s transition to green energy.

The Klondike property was a top tellurium prospect owned previously by First Solar Inc., one of the world’s largest solar panel producers. First Solar terminated its worldwide raw materials exploration program in 2012 and sold the property to Colorado Klondike LLC, which optioned the project to First Tellurium. Colorado Klondike, led by First Solar’s former Exploration Manager in North America, is managing the upcoming exploration program.

The Colorado Geological Survey (CGS), in partnership with the Colorado School of Mines, reported on First Solar’s exploration at Klondike in 2015, noting: “Surface sampling by First Solar, Inc. in 2006 found very high tellurium grades of up to 3.3% (33,000 ppm), along with locally high gold grades. Tellurium grades at Klondike were the highest encountered in the company’s nationwide exploration program.”

Market Outlook

First Tellurium in spring 2023 referenced recent forecasts by the International Energy Agency (IEA) pointing to rapid growth in solar photovoltaic (solar PV) deployment worldwide. According to the agency, solar PV installations will generate more power by 2027 than any other energy source, including coal, natural gas and hydro. To meet this demand, consumption of both silver and tellurium, key components of solar panels, is expected to surge in coming years.

Chen Lin, founder of Lin Asset Management, has written in his investment newsletter for clients that solar PV is now the largest industrial usage of silver. He said that in 2022 solar PV production used about 12% of total silver demand, or about 120 million ounces of silver. Lin expects this number to rise dramatically in the coming years, and that is likely to lead to silver supply deficits for decades to come.

Lin points out that solar power is now the cheapest source of energy in many parts of the world and that all forecasts point to dramatic expansion of solar PV in the coming two decades. Conservative estimates forecast 300 gigawatts of solar PV production by 2027, up from the current level of about 200 gigawatts.

Management Team

Tyrone Docherty is President, Director and CEO of First Tellurium Corp. He previously served as President and CEO of Quinto Mining Inc., taking over when it had a market cap of $4 million. With limited resources in a difficult market environment, he raised more than $30 million and advanced Quinto’s Quebec iron ore property to a viable project. Quinto later sold for $175 million, with Quinto management taking shares of the purchaser, Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines, amounting to approximately 20-21% of that company. Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines sold two years later for $4.9 billion, giving the former Quinto team an enterprise value of approximately $1 billion. From 2012 to 2018, Mr. Docherty was Director and Chairman of Mason Graphite Inc. He has worked in the financial and minerals markets for more than 30 years.

Tony Fogarassy, M.Sc. LL.M., is Chairman of First Tellurium Corp. He is a lawyer and a geologist. His extensive legal and technical expertise includes minerals, oil and gas, coal and renewable energy projects and environmental and aboriginal/indigenous law in North America, Africa and Asia. He graduated as gold medalist in geological sciences from the University of British Columbia and in law from the London School of Economics.

First Tellurium Corp. (OTCQB: FSTTF), closed Tuesday's trading session at $0.0762, up 20.7607%, on 201,073 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.047785/$0.1765.

Recent News

• First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL) (OTCQB: FSTTF) - Australia Joins Five Other Countries in Adding Tellurium to its Critical Metals List
• First Tellurium Provides Update on Assay Results and Data Analysis at Deer Horn
• Toyota the Latest Auto Giant to Announce Solid-State EV Batteries

Horizon Fintex | Upstream

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Horizon Fintex | Upstream

A recent blog written by Fernanda De La Torre highlights that Upstream will be sponsoring and meeting with issuers at The Microcap Conference. The event is slated to take place Jan. 30 through Feb. 1, 2024, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The piece reads, "Members of the Upstream team will be in attendance to answer questions on why issuers should dual list on Upstream. We'll have a dedicated booth where you can discover the opportunities of reaching a global audience through dual listing on Upstream's next-generation market and trading app. We're looking forward to connecting with U.S. and international issuers and the service providers that support them. Don't miss the chance to engage with us and explore the future of market dynamics made possible by smart-contract technology."

To view the full blog, visit https://ibn.fm/EGZUu

Horizon Fintex is a software business specializing in compliant securities solutions. The company aims to facilitate the future of capital markets by leveraging the regulatory experience of Wall Street bankers and the proven track record of technology veterans to bring focus to compliance, efficiency, security and transparency.

Horizon’s flagship product is the revolutionary trading app ‘Upstream’, a MERJ Exchange Market, and the first regulated market powered by a blockchain to offer both digital securities and NFT trading. Upstream traders experience T+0 settlement, best bids and offers displayed on a transparent public orderbook that prevents predatory market practices – all from a user-friendly trading app.

Products

Horizon Fintex offers a full suite of end-to-end blockchain-enhanced software solutions to create a seamless experience for both issuers and investors. Its product suite includes:

• Securitization & Issuance – ETSware is an end-to-end Electronic Trading System streamlining capital raising from primary issuance through compliant secondary trading.
• KYC Compliance Onboarding – KYCware is a white label Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance software solution offering best-in-class cryptographic security to compliantly onboard and verify user identity through a smartphone application.
• AML Screening Software – AMLCop offers advanced Anti-Money Laundering (AML) software to streamline the verification of user details against a proprietary database of global sanctions, politically exposed persons (PEPs) and watchlists.
• Cap. Table Management Tools – CustodyWare equips registered U.S. transfer agents with next-generation cap. table management software to manage securities on behalf of their clients pursuant to an SEC-registered or exempt securities offering.
• Exchange & Trading App Technology – Open Order Book offers Ethereum blockchain securities exchange software to power the next generation of trading venues for digital assets.

Upstream – The Horizon-Powered Trading App

Upstream is a joint venture with MERJ Exchange (merj.exchange), an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges.

Upstream aims to be the premiere global trading hub offering issuers around the world exposure to a digital-first investor base that can trade using USDC digital currency along with credit, debit, PayPal, and USD (fiat) to increase liquidity and enhance price discovery; while also offering investors access to dual-listed companies, IPOs, crowdfunded companies, U.S. & Int’l. equities, digital coupons and NFTs directly from a user-friendly trading app.

Upstream aims to unlock liquidity for investors of all levels while offering industry-leading levels of transparency, accessibility and investor protections enforced using Ethereum blockchain technology.

Management Team

Brian Collins is the CEO of Horizon Fintex. He founded the company in 2010. From 1999-2010, Mr. Collins was CEO of Abbey Technology in Switzerland, specializing in the design of trading software for Swiss banks. Prior to this, he worked for Credit Suisse in Zürich, designing and building proprietary equity trading solutions. Mr. Collins graduated in 1990 with a BS in Computer Systems from the University of Limerick, Ireland.

Mark Elenowitz is the company’s President. He is a Wall Street veteran with over 29 years of experience. Mr. Elenowitz was the co-founder of a U.S. broker dealer and is Managing Director of two U.S. broker dealers, responsible for advising clients on compliance, capital structure and capital market navigation. He was responsible for leading the first successful Reg A+ IPO of a company to list on the NYSE and others which listed directly onto Nasdaq. He is a noted speaker at Small Cap and Reg A events, including the SEC Small Business Forum, and has been profiled in BusinessWeek and CNBC, as well as several other publications. Mr. Elenowitz is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Business and Management with a BS in Finance and holds Series 24, 62, 63, 79, 82 and 99 licenses.

Dr. Andrew Le Gear is the CTO of Horizon Fintex. Prior to joining the company in 2013, he worked as a software engineer with Dell Inc. (2012-2013) and Lehman Brothers and Nomura Plc. (2007-2012). Dr. Le Gear was a co-founder of Juneberi Ltd., a research-driven software tech start-up (2004-2007). He graduated in 2006 with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Limerick, Ireland.

Peter Hall is the company’s CIO. Prior to joining Horizon Fintex in 2011, he worked at Microsoft (2008-2011), Atos Origin (2004-2008) and AIT Group Plc. (1998-2002). Mr. Hall has held CISSP certification since 2010. He graduated from the University of Sheffield, UK in 1995 and earned an MS from the University College London in 2006.

Mike Boswell is the CFO of Horizon Fintex. A Wall Street veteran, he co-founded a U.S. broker dealer and served as Chief Compliance Officer. Mr. Boswell was also Managing Director of TriPoint Capital Advisors, a merchant banking and financial consulting company, and CFO of Mission Solutions Group, a privately held defense sector firm. He earned an MBA from John Hopkins University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland. Mr. Boswell holds Series 24, 62, 63, 79, 82 and 99 licenses.

Recent News

• Horizon Fintex | Upstream - InvestorNewsBreaks – Upstream to Shine the Spotlight on the Future of Market Dynamics in Microcap Conference 2024
• InvestorNewsBreaks — Upstream Breaks Mold for Payment for Order Flow, Builds Transparent Trading Environment
• InvestorNewsBreaks — Upstream Experiences Key Achievements in Pivotal Year as App ‘Propels’ Itself Forward into Future of Trading

Renovaro BioSciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RENB)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Renovaro BioSciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RENB) .

Renovaro BioSciences (NASDAQ: RENB) (formerly NASDAQ: ENOB), an advanced, preclinical biotechnology firm in cell, gene and immunotherapy focused on solid tumors with short life expectancy, has released a message for its shareholders from CEO Mark Dybul. In the message, Dybul provides an update about key developments the company experienced during 2023, including signing a definitive agreement to combine with the European-based, cutting-edge artificial-intelligence ("AI") company GEDi Cube; GEDi Cube's partnership with NVIDIA to expand its multiomic capabilities to multimodal; and consistently achieving "the holy grail of cancer research" in preclinical studies. The company has also scheduled a shareholder meeting on Jan. 25, 2024, to vote on matters related to the combination with GEDi Cube. In the message, Dybul also noted that 2024 has gotten off to a promising start, reporting that the company has been advised by GEDi Cube that its team has accelerated its multiomic health technology and is focused on pursuing key partnerships that will contribute to the commercialization of potential products and lay a solid foundation for a client base for rapid uptake when products become available. As a result, GEDi Cube has become a formal inception partner of NVIDIA. The message also stated that GEDI Cube has progressed its efforts with a three-phase workflow for its AI platform for biomarker discovery. The company has also made progress in advancing its cancer vaccine, RENB-DC11, toward studies in human, based on results obtained in experiments of pancreatic cancer in humanized mice.

"The structure envisioned for the combined company, and as outlined in the proxy, is a topco, for which I would serve as CEO, and two subsidiaries — Renovaro Bioscience and GEDi Cube, with the intention to change the name to Renovaro AI or another appropriate name," said Renovaro BioSciencesCEO Mark Dybul in the shareholder message. "This approach is intended to allow each subsidiary to advance its cutting-edge technologies without introducing cultural and management challenges inherent in business combinations. However, as indicated, we have already begun planning for a multiplier effect at the intersection of the health tech and biotech platforms. This could lead to potentially numerous ‘AI clones' and new therapies that could create the foundation for evergreen business opportunities. We firmly believe the winning combination of cutting-edge health tech and biotech offers an opportunity for an end-to-end approach to cancer — from early diagnosis and detection of recurrence to prediction of treatment effectiveness to the discovery of new therapies while advancing our existing therapeutic vaccine towards our vision for living a long, healthy life free from toxic chemotherapy."

To view the message, visit https://ibn.fm/1xBoB

Renovaro BioSciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RENB), formerly Enochian BioSciences Inc., is an advanced, pre-clinical biotechnology firm in cell, gene and immunotherapy focused on solid tumors with short life expectancy. The company aims to unlock potentially long-term or life-long cancer remission in some of the deadliest cancers, and to potentially treat or cure serious infectious diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection.

The oncology platform is now at the forefront of Renovaro’s development activities. While Renovaro’s current efforts focus primarily on pancreatic cancer, it plans to include other solid tumors with short life-expectancy in the first in human Phase I/IIa studies that are on track to start by mid-2024. The company’s Pre-Investigational New Drug (pre-IND) submission included a human study plan covering pancreatic cancer, as well as other cancers that are difficult to treat, potentially including triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancers and mesothelioma.

Renovaro’s proprietary, novel technology uses cell- and gene-therapy to promote a renewed immune response against solid tumors. Important confirmatory results from two humanized mouse models using the company’s novel dendritic cell-based therapy, independently conducted by Dr. Anahid Jewett, a renowned cancer researcher in the field of immunotherapy at UCLA, were presented previously at two scientific conferences and were the foundation supporting a pre-IND submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Notably, Dr. Jewett’s findings from these studies consistently demonstrated 80% to 90% pancreatic tumor reduction in size and weight that was correlated with significant enhancement of key aspects of the immune response.

Renovaro is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

RENB-DC11

Renovaro’s product development strategy is anchored in the use of “non-self” or allogeneic cells that enhance targeted immune response. Its lead candidate, RENB-DC11, is an innovative therapeutic vaccination platform that could potentially be used to induce life-long remissions from some of the deadliest solid tumors.
Treatment with RENB-DC11 has now been shown to significantly reduce the size of human pancreatic tumors in humanized mice in three independent studies. The reduction in tumor size correlated with statistically significant increases in key components of an immune response.

Pre-IND was completed in June 2023, with IND filing forecast for first half of 2024. First in-human Phase I/IIa trials are predicted shortly after in H1 of 2024, including pancreatic and other solid tumors with poor treatment options and life-expectancy.

Renovaro believes that RENB-DC11 could represent the most promising and effective strategy to achieve life-long remission for a number of common and deadly tumors.

Other Development Candidates

In addition to its lead oncology platform, Renovaro’s development pipeline includes a platform targeting infectious diseases, including:

• RENB-HV12 – An engineered allogeneic T-Cell vaccine, this therapeutic HIV vaccine candidate enhances immune infiltration, immune killing and immune surveillance. Potential pre-IND submission is planned for first half of 2024, with IND-submission expected in second half of 2024.
• RENB-HV21 – Leveraging allogeneic NK plus Gamma Delta T (GDT) cells as potential therapy for HIV, ENOB-HV21 shows promising preliminary results without confounding factors. Renovaro owns an exclusive license and has completed the Pre-IND submission, with a potential IND submission and human trials expected in 2024.
• RENB-HV01 – Caring Cross, a non-profit corporation, has shown that its proprietary CAR-T cells cure HIV in a mouse model. Studies in humans have begun. Renovaro has entered into a profit-sharing sublicense with Caring Cross and would share in profits if the product is commercialized.
• RENB-HB01 – This therapeutic approach aims to eliminate all HBV rapidly (“seek and kill”) with a two to three dose treatment regimen. It is expected to be applicable for early disease to maximize impact with low risk of toxicity. Pre-IND comments have been received from the FDA for its AAV-delivery system.
  LOI to Merge with GEDi Cube International Ltd.

On August 9, 2023, Renovaro announced its execution of a binding, exclusive letter of intent to merge a subsidiary with cutting-edge health AI company GEDi Cube International Ltd. The combined company is expected to create a potential multiplier effect to accelerate earlier diagnosis, more effective therapy, and precision in silico drug discovery.

GEDi Cube’s innovative technology, developed over nearly a decade, has already validated earlier diagnoses of lung cancer in humans at a leading university hospital. GEDi Cube has likewise created the early diagnosis technology for 12 additional cancers, including pancreatic and breast cancer.

“I believe joining forces with GEDi Cube could enhance the efficacy of our upcoming trials and speed up the discovery of novel treatment approaches, thereby extending our life-saving technology to more cancer patients and renewing hope for them and their families,” Dr. Mark Dybul, CEO of Renovaro, stated in the news release.

GEDi Cube is led by CEO Craig Rhodes, who brings to that company tremendous industry experience leading life sciences groups at industry leaders Intel, Oracle and NVIDIA.

Market Opportunity

Pancreatic cancer alone is diagnosed globally in approximately 495,000 people each year, including roughly 64,000 in the U.S. Nearly 466,000 of those patients die annually, including approximately 51,000 in the U.S. Because of limited treatment options, life expectancy is very poor – with an approximately 10% patient survival rate at five years after diagnosis.

The global pancreatic cancer treatment market was valued at $2.15 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow from $2.48 billion in 2022 to $6.85 billion by 2029, according to Fortune Business Insights. That growth represents a CAGR of 15.7% for the forecast period.

A separate report from Fortune Business Insights projects that the global HIV drug market will grow from $30.46 billion in 2021 to $45.58 billion in 2028, recording a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period.

According to GlobalData, the value of the market for hepatitis B treatment is forecast to experience a significant increase in the coming years, with revenues expected to grow from $1.6 billion in 2022 to $10.5 billion in 2029. That represents a very rapid CAGR of 30% over the period. An estimated 296 million people suffer from the condition worldwide.

Management Team

Dr. Mark Dybul is the CEO of Renovaro. He has served as a tenured professor in the Department of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center since June 2017. He also served as Faculty Co-Director of the Center for Global Health and Quality from 2017-2021. Dr. Dybul has worked on HIV and public health for nearly 30 years as a clinician, scientist, teacher and administrator, including as an architect and eventually the Global Ambassador of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from 2013 through May of 2017, and as the co-director of the Global Health Law Program at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law from 2009 through 2012. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine.

Luisa Puche is the company’s CFO. She has served as a senior accounting and financial advisor and president of Puche Group LLC from 2015-2019. She served in various key executive roles, including Interim Chief Accounting Officer, at Brightstar Corp., a $10 billion global wireless device services provider. Ms. Puche began her career at Ernst & Young, where she served for approximately 10 years. Leveraging her broad global audit, advisory and corporate expertise, she has provided strong cross-functional leadership experience managing small and large projects for both publicly traded and privately held companies in various industries, including a global implementation of the latest revenue recognition accounting standard for Del Monte, as well as the global implementation of their SOX-404 program.

Francois Binette, Ph.D., is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Research & Development at Renovaro. He has over 25 years of product development expertise in Advanced Therapies and Regenerative Medicine. His broad industry experience spans a wide range of serious medical conditions, from orthopedics to ophthalmology, CNS and immuno-oncology. His career includes positions at Genzyme, Biosyntech, the DePuy Franchise of Johnson and Johnson, Medtronic and Lineage Cell Therapeutics. He received his Ph.D. from Laval University in Québec, followed by post-doctoral training at the Sanford-Burnham Institute in La Jolla and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Renovaro BioSciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RENB), closed Tuesday's trading session at $4.37, off by 1.3544%, on 155,031 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.3928/$5.25.

Recent News

• Renovaro BioSciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RENB) - InvestorNewsBreaks - Renovaro BioSciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RENB) Releases CEO Shareholder Message
• Fruit Fly Study Opens Door to Novel Immunotherapy Approach Against Cancer
• Oncologist Explores Whether Including Fiber in Diets Boosts Immunotherapy Outcomes