Willow Biosciences Inc. (TSX: WLLW) (OTCQB: CANSF)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Willow Biosciences Inc. (TSX: WLLW) (OTCQB: CANSF).

Willow Biosciences Inc. (TSX: WLLW) (OTCQB: CANSF) was featured today in a publication from CBDWire, examining how, for the past couple of years, American farmers have been on the lookout for the next best cash crop. While corn, soybeans, wheat and other crops cultivated on American farms do sell, the payoff isn’t always that great. Enter the 2018 Farm Bill, a legislation that legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp, finally granting farmers access to a high-value cash crop.

Willow Biosciences Inc. (TSX: WLLW) (OTCQB: CANSF) 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 recognized internationally as a leader in plant specialized metabolite biosynthesis. Dr. Facchini 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.

Willow Biosciences Inc. (OTCQB: CANSF), closed Friday's trading session at $0.5566, up 4.9991%, on 20,800 volume with 8 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 8,801 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.400999993/$2.1775.

Recent News

• North Dakota CBD Company Opts to Split Profits With Hemp Farmers
• Research Shows Marijuana Edibles THC Labels Need to Be Improved
• 420 with CNW – Colorado Unveils Plan to Ease Banking Access for Marijuana Industry

MCTC Holdings Inc. (OTC: MCTC)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight MCTC Holdings Inc. (MCTC).

MCTC Holdings (OTC: MCTC), a research and development company deploying new extraction and infusion technologies for the cannabinoid and hemp industries, recently announced production of its new Hemp You Can Feel(TM) Coffee Infusions tablets and powders that enable food and beverage manufacturers to efficiently infuse their products. To view the full article, visit http://cnw.fm/y5CN0

MCTC Holdings Inc. (OTC: MCTC) is an innovator in the field of cannabinoid nanoparticles and infusion technologies with several important cannabinoid patents filed and an active research and development program underway. The company was reorganized during June of 2019 and announced its intent to enter the cannabis sector and change its corporate identity to Cannabis Global Inc. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

With the hemp and cannabis industries rapidly expanding in terms of market size, acceptance and number of market participants, MCTC plans to concentrate its efforts on the middle portions of the hemp and cannabis value chain. The company is actively pursuing R&D programs and productization of advanced cannabinoid delivery systems, based on solid polymeric nanoparticles and fibers. These technologies hold the promise to revolutionize the science of cannabinoid bio-enhancement for use in foods, beverages, consumer products and in transdermal applications. Because of nanoparticles’ ability to be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, nanotechnology has been utilized in the food and drug industry for some time and has the potential for tremendous growth in the cannabis industry (http://nnw.fm/v6RQ6).

Cutting-Edge Technology

MCTC is at the cutting-edge of the cannabis industry’s trends with its emphasis on polymeric nanotechnology. This is not to be confused with the more basic oil-in-water nano-emulsions currently marketed to the food and beverage industry. The company’s polymer-based particles offer significant loading of active ingredients and unmatched flexibility and customization, allowing for myriad combinations of cannabinoids with unique performance characteristics. MCTC believes polymeric nanotechnology particles will be a critical technology area for the cannabinoid formulation marketplace.

The company continues to build its R&D program, specifically researching the development of improving methods to make cannabinoids available to living systems. Instrumental in the research program is the development of novel polymeric nanoparticles and nanofibers. These have the potential to elevate the potential of cannabinoid products in the following ways (http://nnw.fm/cK3Bl):

• Significantly improving bioavailability
• Allowing for ultra-high loading rates
• Enhancing customization of cannabinoid combinations
• Improved dosing precision
• Providing more control in release parameters

MCTC leadership understands the importance of developing intellectual property (IP) in the ever-evolving cannabis industry. A recent Forbes article described IP as “critical for creating true differentiation between companies and their product and service offerings” (http://nnw.fm/57Fjh). Recognizing the importance of IP, MCTC has been consistent in its application for patents to protect its innovative nanotechnology applications.

Patents

MCTC has now filed four patents on its cannabinoid delivery technology systems:

• The company first collaborated with Cannabis Nanosciences Inc. on technologies. This became the basis for its first patent filing on an innovative edible dissolvable film for cannabinoid ingestion.
• Its second patent filing for cannabinoid nanoparticles combined TPGS, a water-soluble form of vitamin E.
• Its third patent filing involved a unique 4th dimension, 3D printed cannabinoid delivery system for beverages.
• Its fourth patent, considered its most significant, broadly covers many aspects of nanoparticles and nano fibers comprising one or more cannabinoids disposed at least partially within a water-soluble medium.

Collaborations

MCTC collaborated with Marijuana Company Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA) subsidiary hempSmart Inc., under a hemp extract and CBD product supply agreement wherein hempSmart will utilize its extensive network of marketing partners to market MCTC’s powered drink mixes and other CBD edibles online. These products are designed for the dry beverage and edibles sector and will be supplied by MCTC. They incorporate the company’s patent-pending cannabinoid infusion technologies and will be trademarked as Hemp You Can Feel (TM) and Gummies You Can Feel (TM).

Leadership

MCTC CEO and chairman Arman Tabatabaei boasts 15 years of management and operations experience and is considered an expert at data collection and analysis relative to resource management, risk forecasting, and profit and loss management. He has acted as a consultant with Cannabis Strategic Ventures (OTCQB: NUGS) and played an instrumental role in improving operations at Sugarmade Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD) relative to the company’s hydroponic growth supplies initiatives.

MCTC founder and director Robert Hymers also brings a seasoned perspective, having had significant experiences in the cannabis industry and as a financial executive and consultant. He is the managing partner of Pinnacle Tax Services in Los Angeles and was previously CFO and director of Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTC: MCOA). He is currently a member of the Strategic Advisory Board at Massroots Inc. and acts as a consultant to both Cannabis Strategic Ventures Inc. and Sugarmade Inc. Hymers’ background in tax accounting, auditing, SEC reporting, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance has immense value in his current position at MCTC Holdings.

MCTC Holdings Inc. (MCTC), closed Friday's trading session at $0.33, up 20.00%, on 770 volume with 6 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 17,680 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.05/$3.00.

Recent News

• MCTC Holdings Inc. (MCTC) Provides Improved CBD-Infusion Method for Single-Serving Coffee Manufacturers
• A Closer Look at What it Takes to Make Denim from Hemp
• 420 with CNW – LA Moves to Dismiss 66,000 Pot Convictions

SRAX Inc. (NASDAQ: SRAX)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight SRAX Inc. (NASDAQ: SRAX).

SRAX Inc. (NASDAQ: SRAX) is building the largest, most valuable opted-in data set in the world while also providing marketers and consumers tools to unlock the value of data. A digital marketing and consumer data management technology company, SRAX recently announced that its BIGresearch efforts uncovered a new trend in consumer behaviors and opinions this Valentine’s Day (http://nnw.fm/SQrj1). The company continues to leverage its increasingly valuable opted-in database of consumer information to glean marketable insights into societal trends.

SRAX Inc.'s (NASDAQ: SRAX) is a digital marketing and consumer data management technology company. SRAX’s technology unlocks data to reveal brands’ core consumers and their characteristics across marketing channels.

Through its BIGtoken platform, SRAX has developed a consumer-managed data marketplace where people can own and earn from their data, thereby providing everyone in the internet ecosystem choice, transparency and compensation.

SRAX’s tools deliver a digital competitive advantage for brands in the CPG, automotive, investor relations, luxury and lifestyle verticals by integrating all aspects of the advertising experience, including verified consumer participation, into one platform.

SRAX Verticals

• SRAX Core: SRAX Core is a custom digital media management platform that enables brands and agencies to surpass the challenges of omnichannel marketing campaigns. It offers one comprehensive dashboard to manage digital media campaigns, inventory and reporting.
• SRAX Social: SRAX Social is a free social media management tool that makes it easy for brands, agencies and individuals to grow their digital presence. It offers free and unlimited users, Facebook auto boosting, and a custom analytics dashboard. Its managed services team can also build and execute marketing plans for your unique specific needs.
• SRAX IR: SRAX IR unlocks stock buyers’ behaviors and trends for issuers of publicly traded companies. The platform provides insights on shareholders and market makers, investor relations management, shareholder outreach tools and data-driven marketing.
• SRAX Auto: SRAX Auto unlocks auto intenders’ data to create measurable connected experiences on the road to purchase. It offers proprietary auto intender profiles, multi touchpoint communication and custom location-based ads.
• SRAX Shopper: SRAX Shopper delivers a cross channel, premium digital experience at scale to high value shopper audiences. It offers proprietary shopper profiles, cost per click pricing, and custom text and add to cart ad units.
• SRAX Lux: Launched in June 2019, the SRAX Lux platform targets and reaches luxury consumers at luxury retail stores, high-end art, music, film, fashion and sports events, across all consumer devices.

BIGtoken

BIGtoken, available for download on the App Store and Google Play, revolutionizes data collection. BIGtoken is a platform that creates a secure and transparent environment for consumers to own and earn from their data. To date, there are 15.9 million BIGtoken registered users worldwide.

The optimization and monetization of data is a multibillion-dollar business. Worldwide spending on big data and business analytics solutions reached $166 billion in 2018 and is projected to surge to $260 billion by 2022. BIGtoken’s consumer vision is committed to delivering choice, transparency and compensation to the individual.

Through BIGtoken, consumers earn rewards when they opt into sharing their data and when that data is purchased. Consumers decide what data is shared, who can buy it and how it’s used, and advertisers reach real, responsive audiences. The benefit of this is two-fold: consumers know how their data is used and advertisers gain verified consumer data for targeting.

Users of the BIGtoken app can officially be paid in cash or gift cards in exchange for giving brands access to their anonymized data, answering questions, checking into locations, recruiting new members, and more. Users can deposit their earnings directly into PayPal accounts or be paid through gift cards from favorite retailers such as Walmart.

SRAX has also partnered with several high-profile, nonprofit associations to provide BIGtoken users the ability to donate their earnings. Partnerships include the American Heart Association, dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke; HealthCorps, which helps high school students make better choices about health and physical fitness; and the ALS Association, which recently launched its Challenge Me campaign.

International Expansion

BIGtoken is formally launching into several international markets and partnering to foster local support. SRAX recently signed a joint venture with the Yash Birla Group to launch BIGtoken in India. Based in Mumbai, the Yash Birla Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates, has diversified interests in consumer and industrial products.

The partnership will bring BIGtoken’s platform to India, which has a digital population of 627 million. The India digital advertising market is $3.6 billion and is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 32%, making it one of the largest growing digital ad markets in the world.

SRAX Mexico is led by Moe Avitia, who has more than 18 years of experience in business development and building high-tech teams. SRAX Mexico includes a team of 90 employees, including 70 engineers.

BIGtoken Europe is currently evaluating data centers in individual countries for privacy laws.

Leadership

Christopher Miglino is CEO and founder of SRAX. He has spent the past 20 years working in the digital advertising space and has successfully launched and sold two internet companies. Both of these companies were sold to publicly traded companies on the NASDAQ. He has a detailed understanding of how technology interacts with brands.

Kristoffer Nelson is COO of SRAX and a founding member of BIGtoken. With over 15 years of technology and creative business experience, Nelson has been a guest speaker for Loyola Marymount University among other academic institutions, the National Association of Broadcasters, the IAB and numerous other professional and media organizations.

SRAX Inc. (NASDAQ: SRAX), closed Friday's trading session at $2.94, up 13.0769%, on 172,514 volume with 696 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 100,260 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.04999995/$5.8499999.

Recent News

• SRAX Inc. (NASDAQ: SRAX) Uncovers Millennials’ Love for Experience-Based Gifts
• SRAX Inc. (NASDAQ: SRAX) Founder, CEO Discusses Revolutionary BIGtoken Platform in Exclusive Interview
• SRAX Inc. (NASDAQ: SRAX) Reveals Strategic Plans for 2020 as Exclusive Platforms Start Generating Multiple Recurring Revenue Streams

SinglePoint, Inc. (SING)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight SinglePoint, Inc. (SING).

SinglePoint (OTCQB: SING) was featured on this week’s episode of MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon. The internationally syndicated program covers money-focused topics, featuring various companies and in-depth interviews with CEOs and executives that offer insights into operations and future outlooks. MoneyTV is viewed in over 200 million households in more than 75 countries. To view the full press release, visit http://cnw.fm/Nxq6k

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.

SinglePoint, Inc. (SING), closed Friday's trading session at $0.011, up 3.2379%, on 6,083,475 volume with 199 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 3,731,656 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.007/$0.023.

Recent News

• SinglePoint, Inc. (SING) CEO Discusses Revenue Numbers on MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon
• SinglePoint Inc. (SING) Subsidiary Reports Continued Growth as Company Kicks Off 2020 Initiatives
• NY Hemp Farmers Come Together as New Hemp Laws Take Effect

InsuraGuest Inc.

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight InsuraGuest Inc..

Recent News

• InsuraGuest Inc.’s Short-Term Policy Coverage Helps Lodging Businesses Respond to Unexpected Concerns
• InsuraGuest Inc. Capitalizes on Growing Vacation Rental Market
• InsuraGuest Inc. Expands Service Reach Internationally

HTC Extraction Systems (TSX.V: HTC) (OTCQB: HTPRF)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight HTC Extraction Systems (TSX.V: HTC) (OTCQB: HTPRF).

HTC Extraction Systems (TSX.V: HTC) (OTCQB: HTPRF)is a hemp-biomass cultivation, extraction, formulation and refining entity that utilizes its trademarked Delta Reclaiming System technologies to limit CBD waste. To view the full article, visit http://cnw.fm/p3uHi. Also today, the company was highlighted in a publication from CBDWire, examining how, for the past few years, cannabidiol (CBD) has grown from relative obscurity to being one of the most talked-about topics. The chemical is one of over 100 cannabinoids produced by cannabis, or in this case, hemp, and it’s probably one of the most important finds of the decade. Although most of the research is in its preliminary stages, CBD is said to be a potent and versatile natural medicine.

HTC Extraction Systems (TSX.V: HTC) (OTCQB: HTPRF) has developed and optimized proprietary technologies designed for biomass extraction, distillation and purification of ethanol and ethanol-based solvents used for the hemp biomass and cannabidiol (“CBD”) industry, as well as gas and liquid extraction. HTC’s extraction & purification systems are engineered to large-scale to reduce capital and operating costs while delivering superior performance measured by reduced energy usage, lowered emissions and improved quality of the product produced.

Advanced Extraction Technologies

For more than 14 years, HTC has developed and optimized proprietary technology and purification systems used for biomass, gas and liquid extraction. These technologies include:

• LCDesign® – Low-cost design for modular gas, liquid and biomass extraction systems optimizes plant design, thus reducing capital and operating costs.
• PDOEngine™ – Software-based design algorithms accurately model and simulate gas, liquid and biomass extraction processing.
• Delta Solvents™ – Custom-designed, ethanol-based solvent mixtures and additives that optimize production and reduce costs. Technology development is being conducted at HTC’s sponsored research facilities at the University of Calgary.

Delta Purification® Technology

HTC’s patented Delta Purification® technology will purify, recycle and reuse the extraction ethanol used in the CBD extraction process while managing and reducing any CBD waste losses through the re-extraction of all wastes collected from the purified ethanol. Current and new technologies include:

• Delta CBD Reclaiming System: Reclaiming and purifying ethanol for use in CBD extraction from biomass. Reduces required heat to prevent damage of the chemical attributes of the CBD molecule, allowing extracted CBD to meet food-grade targets for human consumption.
• Delta Solvent Reclaiming System: Reclaiming and purifying ethanol-based solvents, such as single, mixed and formulated amines, for use in natural gas processing and post-combustion CO2 capturing processes.
• Delta Glycol Reclaiming System: Reclaiming and purifying glycols, such as mono-ethylene glycol and tri-ethylene glycol for use in natural gas dehydration processes.

Hemp Biomass and Tolling Contracts

HTC has entered into a hemp biomass tolling agreement for the 2019 crop year involving a supply of hemp biomass from a hemp grower in Saskatchewan, Canada. The hemp grower utilizes five varieties of Health Canada-approved cultivars as the genetic foundation. HTC will process and extract CBD FSO distillate from the hemp biomass. As a tolling fee payment, HTC will receive a percentage of the extracted CBD FSO distillate for its processing, extraction, purification and distillation services.

Additional hemp biomass tolling contracts with producers and hemp biomass providers are being negotiated in the U.S. for the 2020 hemp crop growing year. HTC will provide “local-to-grower” drying-to-biomass storage capability and transportation of dried biomass to an HTC, location to be determined, future US based, extraction facility. HTC is also in negotiation with a 60,000-acre, recognized Canadian farm leader, who is a significant hemp biomass producer, for a similar hemp biomass tolling contract.

re3™ Technology

Large users of ethanol and solvents for plant oil extraction demand reduced capital and operating costs. HTC’s re3™ (reclaim, recycle, reuse) technology can save up to 30% of the required fluid costs. The increasing cost of new extraction ethanol, combined with the cost of used ethanol disposal, creates a unique opportunity whereby the re3™ technology will create cost savings, while meeting environmental responsibilities.

The growth of ethanol and CO2 used in CBD production has created a new demand for reliable commercial scale ethanol reclaimer systems. The Delta Purification® ethanol system meets this new demand.

Sales and Offtake Agreements

HTC intends to leverage its relationship with its related entity, Purely Canada Foods™, to provide sales and distribution for its Ingredient CBD market under the brand of Purely Canada Hemp™, Purely Canada CBD™, Purely Canada Cannabinoids™. Purely Canada Hemp™ will develop risk managed multi-year ingredient supply contracts with its existing and new Global Food, Beverage and Animal Food Industry Customers.

Project Construction

HTC has focused the Canadian implementation of its BOOM (build, own, operate and maintain) extraction tolling strategy on a location near Regina, Saskatchewan. HTC is currently constructing a 19,000-square-foot GMP Euro compliant extraction tolling facility on six acres of land that will include biomass processing, extraction, implementation of DeltaSolv™ technologies and Delta Purification® systems, distillate and refining equipment, laboratory quality control and testing operations, and on-site office and admin facilities.

Leadership

Chairman, CEO and Director Lionel Kambeitz is a recognized professional in business development and international business relations. He has played a founding role in many other Canadian and U.S.-based companies. Kambeitz has executive experience in a variety of industries including energy, agriculture, food production engineering, and manufacturing.

Jeff Allison, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Director, has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance and business development. Prior to joining HTC in 2005, Allison as Vice President assisted with the founding and setup of CUCORP Financial Services in Saskatchewan.

HTC Extraction Systems (OTCQB: HTPRF), closed Friday's trading session at $0.12555, even for the day, on 500 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 2,932 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.100299999/$0.920000016.

Recent News

• HTC Extraction Systems (TSX.V: HTC) (OTCQB: HTPRF) Targets Cannabinoid Extract Industry
• Japanese Company Starts Extracting CBD from Orange Peels
• 420 with CNW – Alabama Senate Bill Seeks to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Jerrick Media Holdings, Inc. (OTC: JMDA)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Jerrick Media Holdings, Inc. (OTC: JMDA).

In a digital world where a growing number of Internet users resent the intrusive nature of pop-up windows and actively use ad blockers to avoid them, businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to share branded messages with key target audiences. Yet building a brand and capturing consumer attention – and dollars – are more important than ever for a company’s survival. Fortunately, Jerrick Media Holdings Inc. (OTC: JMDA) and its exclusive platform for digital creators – Vocal – offer branded-content potential unlike any other. Also today, NetworkNewsWire released a report on the company detailing how JMDA was recently covered by Zacks Small-Cap Research. Zacks provided a final estimated valuation for the company of $13 per share by 2021, calculated using a combination of valuation metrics (http://nnw.fm/AB5jI). To view the full article, visit http://nnw.fm/h9Uyh

Jerrick Media Holdings, Inc. (OTC: JMDA) develops technology-based solutions to solve digital problems. Through the combination of design, thought and data analysis, the company builds products that influence a worldwide audience.

Jerrick’s flagship product is Vocal, a proprietary long-form digital publishing platform that provides storytelling tools and engaged communities for creators to get discovered and fund their creativity.

Vocal

Designed to develop and cost-effectively engage content creators, the Vocal platform enables its over 500,000 registered content creators to reach an engaged audience and monetize their content. In addition to providing relevant content, Vocal’s technology is centered on efficiency and scalability through its niche digital communities, as well as output through its data-driven distribution strategy.

Vocal partners with content creators and brands that recognize difficulties inherent in the digital advertising space and that can benefit from branded content marketing opportunities available on publishing platforms like Vocal.

All content available on Vocal is created within the platform’s custom editor and published on one of Vocal’s embedded genre-specific communities, spanning topics that range from food to wellness, beauty, technology and more.

In May 2019, Jerrick launched Vocal+, its premium subscription membership program. Vocal+ members pay a membership fee for premium value-added features, including receiving increased earnings for their content, reduced platform processing fees for tips received, a Vocal+ badge on their creator page, access to new features on the Vocal Platform, and other rewards. Creators can sign up for free or upgrade to Vocal+, available for purchase on either an annual or monthly subscription basis.

Vocal for Brands

Vocal for Brands is an in-house creative studio that generates actionable data from bespoke native advertising campaigns. Vocal for Brands partners with direct-to-consumer (DTC) to create beautiful, campaign-optimized stories on Vocal that build brand affinity, trust and drive results.

Additionally, Jerrick provides a Managed Services offering to business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) product and service brands which encompasses a full range of digital marketing and e-commerce solutions. Managed Services includes the setup and ongoing maintenance of clients’ websites, Amazon and Shopify storefronts and listings, social media pages, search engine marketing, and other various tools and sales channels utilized by e-commerce sellers for sales and growth optimization. In addition to partnering with Managed Services clients, the company offers a range of la carte services.

Growth Strategy

Upon the consummation of its anticipated listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, Jerrick intends to change its official company name to “Creatd, Inc.,” subject to stockholder approval.

This rebranding will initiate Jerrick’s go-forward growth strategy and its plans to expand its offerings and provide technology products and resources for creators to help transform their ideas into reality. The strategic plan is designed to greatly increase Jerrick’s potential market value via a plethora of new revenue streams.

Creatd will focus on a community of creators that number more than 2.5 billion users, for which it will offer democratized, transparent platforms for distribution, sentiment, resources and monetization. The company’s agile development process will rely on a combination of bleeding-edge technology that eliminates barriers and creates efficiencies. Superior design thinking and data analysis will allow Creatd to expand its digital footprint to a global community.

Creatd will partner with a community of technology collaborators and sophisticated investors who collaborate to provide technology solutions for creators, brands and their respective audiences. The company’s solutions, business processes, technology platforms and design theories will lend themselves to application opportunities on a global scale.

History & Management

Jerrick was founded in 2012. Initially a private media company providing online content through a portfolio of brands, Jerrick’s needs quickly outpaced its initial technology and product offering. In 2015, Jerrick partnered with Thinkmill, a premiere, Australia-based product design and development group to create a content management system (CMS) for its brands; that system evolved into the company’s flagship product, Vocal.

Today, Jerrick’s management team is an impressive group of abstract thinkers united by their passion to solve problems. Leading the team are founder and CEO Jeremy Frommer, and Justin Maury, Jerrick’s president and head of product.

Frommer’s career includes two decades in the financial technology industry, working as a hedge fund and portfolio manager, as well as on the sell-side of the financial industry. Frommer started NextGen Trading, a software development company building proprietary equity trading platforms. NextGen was acquired by Carlin Financial Group of which Frommer became CEO. RBC Capital Markets Corporation eventually bought Carlin. At RBC, Frommer was managing director, head of the Global Prime Services group and a member of the RBC Global Equities Operating Committee.

Maury joined Jerrick in 2013, bringing with him 10 years of experience in the creative industry. Since partnering with Frommer to establish Jerrick, Maury led the company’s product development for more than four years. His passion for the creative arts and technology ultimately yielded the vision for Vocal. During the Jerrick’s early formative years, Maury was a driving force in creating the vision, design and architecture for the Vocal platform and managing the oversight of technology development.

Jerrick Media Holdings, Inc. (JMDA), closed Friday's trading session at $3.50, off by 10.2564%, on 3,000 volume with 11 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 991 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.63999998/$5.00.

Recent News

• Jerrick Media Holdings Inc. (JMDA) and Innovative Vocal Platform Offer Unparalleled Branded-Content Potential
• Jerrick Media Holdings Inc. (JMDA) Receives Valuation by Zacks Small-Cap Research
• Jerrick Media Holdings Inc. (JMDA) CEO Discusses Key Differentiators of Vocal for Brands Campaigns in Weekly Update

Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ: POAI)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Predictive Oncology (POAI).

Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ: POAI), a data and artificial intelligence (“AI”) driven discovery services company that provides predictive models of tumor drug response to improve clinical outcomes for patients, today announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Dan Handley, M.S., Ph.D., to the Board. To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/vSn3u.

Predictive Oncology (POAI) is a knowledge-driven precision medicine company focused on applying data and artificial intelligence (AI) to personalized medicine and drug discovery. The company applies its smart tumor profiling and AI platform to extensive genomic and biomarker patient data sets to build predictive models of tumor drug response to improve clinical outcomes for the cancer patients of today and tomorrow. The company has several tools that support its mission of bringing precision medicine to the treatment of cancer.

Through its subsidiaries, Predictive Oncology’s portfolio of assets includes the following:

• A database of clinically validated historical and outcome data from patient tumors
• An in-house Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified lab
• A “smart” patient-derived tumor profiling platform
• An in-house bioinformatics artificial intelligence (AI) platform
• A new computerized approach growing tumors in the lab to rapidly develop patient specific treatment options
• An FDA-approved fluid collection and disposal system

Using these resources, and in collaboration with key players in the pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotech industries Predictive Oncology is working to determine the best pathways for more individualized and effective cancer treatment.

Subsidiaries

Predictive Oncology leverages the synergies of its three wholly owned subsidiaries to bring precision medicine to the diagnosis of cancer.

Helomics applies artificial intelligence to its rich data gathered from the company’s trove of more than 150,000 tumors to personalize cancer therapies for patients as well as drive the development of new targeted therapies in collaborations with pharmaceutical companies. This database, the largest of its kind in the world, is comprised of ovarian, head and neck, colon and pancreas tumors. Helomic’s CLIA-certified lab provides clinical testing that assists oncologists in individualizing patient treatment decisions, by providing an evidence-based roadmap for therapy.

In addition to its proprietary precision oncology platform, Helomics offers boutique CRO services that leverage its TruTumor™ patient-derived tumor models coupled to a wide range of multi-omics assays (genomics, proteomics and biochemical), and an AI-powered proprietary platform (D-CHIP) to provide a tailored solution to its clients’ specific needs.

TumorGenesis is developing a new, rapid approach to growing tumors in the laboratory without the use of rats or mice, allowing for the identification of biomarkers indicative of cancer. This methodology “fools” the tumor into thinking it is still in the body. As a result, the tumor reacts as it naturally would, thereby increasing the accuracy of the biomarker. Once the biomarkers are identified, they can be used in TumorGenesis’ Oncology Capture Technology Platforms which isolate and helps categorize an individual patient’s heterogeneous tumor samples to enable development of patient-specific treatment options.

Skyline Medical’s patented, FDA-cleared STREAMWAY® System is the first true, direct-to-drain fluid disposal system designed specifically for medical applications such as radiology, endoscopy, urology and cystoscopy procedures. The STREAMWAY system is changing the way healthcare facilities collect and dispose of potentially infectious waste fluid by connecting directly to a facility’s plumbing system to automate the collection, measurement and disposal of waste fluids.

The STREAMWAY minimizes human intervention for better safety and improves compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other regulatory agency safety guidelines. The STREAMWAY eliminates canisters, carts and evacuated bottles, which reduces overhead costs and minimizes environmental impact by helping to eliminate the approximately 50 million potentially disease-infected canisters that go into landfills annually in the United Sates.

Skyline has achieved sales in five of the seven continents through both direct sales and distributor partners.

Competitive Advantage

Precision medicine has become the holy grail of cancer therapeutics. Data driven predictive models of tumors and their responses are critical in both new drug development and individualized patient treatment. The race has begun to model various tumors, which takes 5 to 7 years of clinical evaluation to establish historical and outcome data.

Predictive Oncology enjoys significant competitive advantage. The company already has a vast historical collection of tumors and related data, plus the ability to obtain existing associated outcome data. While others wait for outcome data, Predictive Oncology is in a unique and powerful position, working to deliver the promise of precision medicine to reality. Predictive Oncology already has the clinical data, including how a tumor responded to certain drugs, an in-house bioinformatics AI platform, and only needs to do the tumor sequencing. The significance is underscored by the collaboration with UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital, designed to reveal which mutations responded to which drug then develop powerful predictive models for future testing and treatment.

Leadership Team

Dr. Carl Schwartz was appointed to Skyline Medical’s board of directors in March 2015 and became interim president and CEO in May 2016. Dr. Schwartz became CEO of Plastics Research Corporation in 1988, leading the company to become the largest manufacturer of structural foam molding products in the U.S. with more than $60 million in revenues and 300 employees by the time he retired in 2001. He holds a bachelor’s degree and DDS degree from the University of Detroit.

CFO Bob Myers has over 30 years of experience in multiple industries focusing on medical device service and manufacturing. He has spent much of his career as a CFO and controller. Myers holds an MBA in Finance from Adelphi University and a BBA in public accounting from Hofstra University.

Gerald Vardzel, President of Helomics, has over 25 years of healthcare executive management experience developing and implementing commercialization strategies and models for technology launches. His Go-To-Market expertise includes equity financing, strategic planning, market intelligence, M&A, and new market development in both start-up and established settings including fortune 500 market leaders. He has developed innovative solutions for both CLIA and FDA regulatory paths defining the delivery chains from discovery to clinical acceptance. Mr. Vardzel also has significant experience designing and implementing sales and marketing programs tailored not only to expand market share, but to empirically assess client satisfaction, strengthen business processes, and maximize profitability. Mr. Vardzel was previously Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategic Initiatives at Global Specimen Solutions. Furthermore, as an executive affiliate to the healthcare industry, he routinely consults for several small-to-mid sized private equity firms advising on, in part, the feasibility of acquisition targets. Mr. Vardzel graduated from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Mark Collins, Chief Information Officer of Helomics, has held multiple executive roles in a variety of discovery, informatics and bioinformatics functions within global pharma, and founded three startup software companies in the machine learning and drug discovery space. In 2001, Dr. Collins worked for Cellomics (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific), where he played a pivotal role in establishing the High-Content Cell Analysis market, building and commercializing several key informatics and bioinformatics products. After leaving Thermo Fisher, Dr. Collins developed and commercialized informatics solutions for clinical and translational research, specifically in the specimen tracking, omics data management and NGS analysis space, through key roles at BioFortis, Global Specimens Solutions and Genedata. Dr. Collins received his undergraduate degree in Applied Science from the University of Wolverhampton, UK and his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Surrey, UK.

Predictive Oncology (POAI), closed Friday's trading session at $2.18, off by 3.5398%, on 72,606 volume with 221 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 137,493 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $2.11899995/$8.50.

Recent News

• Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: POAI) Announces Another Exemplary Addition to its Board
• Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: POAI) Subsidiary Advances Precision Therapeutics by Learning Cancer Behavior, Improving Outcomes
• Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: POAI) Names New Member to Board of Directors

Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Sigma Labs Inc. (SGLB).

Mark Ruport, Executive Chairman of Sigma Labs (NASDAQ: SGLB) was recently featured in an interview with Christine Corrado on Proactive Investors. To view the full interview, visit http://nnw.fm/5Rkar

Sigma Labs Inc. (SGLB) is the only provider of in-process quality-assurance software to the commercial 3D printing metal industry that enables operators of machines making 3D metal parts to offset emerging quality problems, sustain part quality, and avoid rejects. Sigma’s software is the singular solution that enables both real-time, in-process detection of quality control manufacturing irregularities for critical metal parts and then provides the operator the actionable information needed to adjust and mitigate the developing anomaly. Sigma Labs’ software represents a paradigm shift in the quality control process for the manufacture of 3D printed metal components. The nascent 3D metal printing industry is on the verge of radically altering the speed and technical complexity of manufactured parts. Further, it makes possible just-in-time availability of critical components – all at reduced cost, time, waste and weight. 3D printing, heralded as the fourth industrial revolution in manufacturing, will only truly surpass traditional techniques when the additive manufacturing industry moves from “post process” quality control to “in process” quality assurance.

For the industry to move from prototype manufacturing of critical components to economically viable commercial production, the 3D metal printing industry must find ways to dramatically increase production speed and quality yields, and to dramatically decrease the excessive cost of quality control. To achieve these prerequisites and move 3D metal printing into the mainstream, parts must be inspected and certified during the manufacturing process rather than after. Parts in the production process that are developing signs of quality control problems must be identified in real-time and alerts must be issued. The problem, along with the solution, must then be communicated to the machine operator to implement repairs.

Revolutionizing Additive Manufacturing

Sigma Labs, with its PrintRite3D® brand, has established a new benchmark in the development and commercialization of real-time computer aided inspection (“CAI”) solutions. Sigma Labs resolves the major roadblocks and costly quality control challenges that impede the 3D manufacture of precision metal parts. The company’s breakthrough computer-aided software product revolutionizes commercial additive manufacturing, enabling non-destructive quality assurance during production, uniquely allowing errors to be corrected in real-time.

Sigma Labs was founded in 2010 by a team of Los Alamos National Labs scientists and engineers to develop and commercially license advanced metallurgical products for the military ordinance, dental implants, and then for additive manufacturing (3D printing). After assessing 3D metal printing technology and the costly, inconsistent quality control issues, Sigma Labs concluded that the enormous potential of 3D metal printing could only scale up if in-process quality-assurance tools were developed to observe, manage and control the manufacturing complexities in such a manner that reliability and repeatability of very high precision quality metal parts could be achieved in the process. Sigma Labs’ patented and third-party validated software has achieved these objectives and now delivers the critical elements needed to unleash the promise of 3D metal printing.

Sigma Labs’ products and services are engineered, manufactured and qualified for use in the highly demanding and hyper precise production environments of the aerospace, defense, transportation, oil and gas, biomedical and other precision-dependent industries.

The Challenge

Additive metal manufacturing combines multiple processes and parts into one single 3D printed part. Due to variances in the additive manufacturing process, parts of consistent quality currently can’t be reliably produced in either large or small quantities without substantial postproduction inspection and rejection costs. Parts are inspected after production using CT scans and other means, so the manufacturer doesn’t know until the very end which of the finished parts meet design specifications. This means lost time, lost profits and inability to economically scale up production.

Innovative Approach

Sigma Labs solves this problem with its patented, in-process quality control technology that informs operators and engineers how to improve both the manufacturing process and quality by capturing meaningful data about inconsistencies in real-time. Sigma Labs is also partnering with OEMs, working toward the visionary introduction of revolutionary closed-loop control that will bypass the machine operator and automatically make in process corrections by reducing machine variations.

Sigma Labs’ next generation technology gives manufacturers the ability to make fast, virtual real-time adjustments so that each finished part is uniform and within critical specifications, thereby improving production quality, decreasing end-users’ risks and waste, and increasing profits and speed to market. Sigma Labs’ PrintRite3D® IPQA Software monitors and assesses the quality of each production part in the 3D additive manufacturing process – layer by layer, and in real-time. This has never been available until now.

Sigma Labs maintains a strong intellectual property portfolio consisting of trade secrets, process know-how and 34 patents either granted, pending or awaiting pre-publication around the globe. These patents encompass the fundamental technologies underlying Sigma Labs’ melt pool process control, data analytics, anomaly detection, signature identification, and future “closed-loop control” of 3D metal printing.

Market Opportunity

Providing advanced quality assurance software to the commercial 3D printing industry is currently a $1.4 billion addressable market expected to grow to $3.9 billion by 2023. Integrating Sigma Labs’ groundbreaking software helps arm the industry with a necessary catalyst to help enable and optimize the fourth industrial revolution in manufacturing.

Sigma Labs’ global client base includes 23 installations across 19 different users. Tier-1 OEM enterprises and end-users such as Siemens, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney and others are currently evaluating PrintRite3D® for production lines.

Management Team

John Rice, CEO and chairman of the board of directors, has extensive experience as a CEO, lead negotiator, turnaround expert, business financier and crisis management executive/consultant. Prior to becoming chair and CEO of Sigma Labs, he was the CEO of a successful turn-around of a Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Rice has led a variety of companies in diverse business sectors and worked on a host of products and technologies including design and manufacture of high-end jet engine test equipment for the U.S. Airforce, chaff dispensers for F16s, software for modeling naval exercises, software for controlling warehouse distribution systems, medical radioisotopes, cancer detection, and cybersecurity. He is an honor’s graduate of Harvard College.

Darren Beckett, CTO, has over 20 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, including Intel Corporation, where he held various technical and managerial positions. His expertise in process engineering for advanced manufacturing technology includes statistical process control for fabrication of semiconductor devices.

CFO Frank D. Orzechowski also serves as treasurer, principal accounting officer, principal financial officer and corporate secretary. He has more than 30 years of distinguished financial and operational experience. Orzechowski began his career at Coopers & Lybrand in 1982, received his CPA certification in 1984, and received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in accounting from Georgetown University in 1982.

Ronald Fisher, vice president of business development, is leading the commercialization of PrintRite3D® 5.0. Fisher is a mechanical engineer with hands-on experience in quality, manufacturing and product development. He has distinguished himself as a lead sales and marketing officer as well as a chief operating officer most recently before joining Sigma in technology startup that grew from market entry to successful exit by merger-acquisition.

Sigma Labs Inc. (SGLB), closed Friday's trading session at $0.6805, off by 1.3911%, on 141,617 volume with 381 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 95,122 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.451099991/$2.24.

Recent News

• Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB) Executive Chairman Featured in Proactive Investors Interview with Christine Corrado
• Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB) Positioned for Success as 3D Metal Printing Assists Automotive Manufacturers
• Sigma Labs Inc.’s (NASDAQ: SGLB) Proprietary Software Represents Game-Changing Technology for 3D Printing Industry

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

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. (OTCQB: PCRCF).

As the electric vehicle market sees impressive growth, the demand for nickel is also rising. Indonesia, which boasts 25% of the world’s nickel resources, is looking for ways to profit from the valuable base metal. As Indonesia benefits from the growing market, so do the companies involved in the production of nickel, including Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. (CSE: BOLT) (OTCQB: PCRCF) (XFRA: NXFE) (PCRCF Profile).

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 battery metals deposits within the Asia-Pacific region, employing a vertically integrated “minerals-to-market” strategy to leverage these assets to their fullest.

Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. is advancing its flagship, 100% controlled Cyclops Nickel-Cobalt located in Papua Province, Indonesia with a mandate to become a key contributor to Asia-Pacific’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle and battery supply chain.

The Cyclops project, uniquely positioned within the world’s largest producer of nickel and in proximity to China, the world’s largest “Gigafactory”, features near surface, strong nickel-cobalt mineralization. The property is situated 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.

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

Indonesia has recently approved environmental impact studies for factories to produce battery-grade nickel chemicals in Morowali. The approval will allow investors, such as China’s stainless steel giant Tsingshan Group, to continue the construction of their high-pressure acid leaching plants in Morowali, Central Sulawesi.

Ranjeet Sundher, chief executive officer of Pacific Rim Cobalt, said: “Indonesia continues to make significant strategic decisions, and this latest announcement represents an important step in Pacific Rim Cobalt’s efforts to benefit from Indonesia’s rapid development as a leading market for all stages of the EV supply chain. With offices in Vancouver, Shanghai and Jakarta, Pacific Rim Cobalt is well positioned to leverage Asia’s global dominance in the battery manufacturing sector.”

Indonesia’s commitment extends to the very top of government, with Joko Widodo – Indonesia’s President – stating in September 2019 that “for nickel, we want raw materials to be processed in Indonesia. We want added values”. This supports previous pronouncements from key officials, including Indonesian Maritime Minister, Luhut Pandjaitan who remarked that Indonesia will “become the main player in lithium batteries” and that it will “control the world market”.

The country, which is the world’s top nickel ore exporter, has stopped export of unprocessed nickel ore to support this plan.

During 2019 the Company carried out an extensive exploration and development program on Cyclops and achieved successful nickel results with its drilling and bench-scale scoping tests for processing of materials.

Drilling identified significant horizons of nickel mineralization and bench-scale scoping tests returned positive results for processing of this nickel rich material.

The recovery percentages form the bench-scale test program are set out below (for further information, please refer to the Company’s press release of October 28, 2019):

Selected elevated nickel drill results are provided below from the Company’s shallow drilling program (for further information, please refer to the Company’s press releases of March 5, April 1, April 23, June 13, June 20 and September 10, 2019):

2020 will see continued and consistent development in Pacific Rim Cobalt’s strategy as the company continues to set ambitious milestones with the goal of becoming a leading international player in the EV battery metal sector and creating significant long-term shareholder value.

This includes preparations to commission and operate the company’s pilot plant in Canada, which will contain an integrated circuit to produce high-purity nickel and cobalt strip solutions to develop battery-grade nickel and cobalt.

The results of the pilot plant will then be used to establish the design criteria for the subsequent demonstration plant in Indonesia, which will produce nickel and cobalt products suitable to meet market specifications. As well as demonstrating Pacific Rim Cobalt’s ability to produce a product within market specifications, this will also be used to establish the design criteria for the company’s commercial-scale plant.

Pacific Rim Cobalt’s world-class management team includes Ranjeet 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 Rim Cobalt Corp. (OTCQB: PCRCF), closed Friday's trading session at $0.20725, off by 2.6081%, on 45,196 volume with 21 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 23,872 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.079999998/$0.259299993.

Recent News

• As Indonesia Looks to Expand Nickel Production, Companies Involved in Process Stand to See Substantial Benefit
• Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. (CSE: BOLT) (OTCQB: PCRCF) (XFRA: NXFE) Licensed for Cyclops Nickel-Cobalt Project in Indonesia
• Indonesia Consolidates Nickel Production to Feed Growing EV Battery Market

ChineseInvestors.com (CIIX)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight ChineseInvestors.com (CIIX).

ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX) was featured on this week’s episode of MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon. The internationally syndicated program, viewed in over 200 million households and more than 75 countries, covers money-focused topics and features in-depth interviews with CEOs and executives that offer insights into various companies and their operations and future outlooks. To view the full press release, visit http://cnw.fm/i7V5R. Also today, the company was featured in the 420 with CNW by CannabisNewsWire. A new study has found that people with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) tend to use less prescription drugs, which are powerful, addictive, and psychostimulants when they consume more medical marijuana.

Founded in 1999, 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.

ChineseInvestors.com (CIIX), closed Friday's trading session at $0.1385, off by 1.0714%, on 45,956 volume with 17 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 52,724 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.119999997/$0.51999998.

Recent News

• 420 with CNW – Medical Marijuana Allows ADHD Patients to Take Fewer Prescription Drugs
• ChineseInvestors.com Inc. (CIIX) CEO Provides Company Update on MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon
• UK Paves the Way for CBD Food Sales But Imposes Dosage Limits

Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX).

Genprex, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNPX), a clinical-stage gene therapy company utilizing a unique, non-viral proprietary platform designed to deliver tumor suppressor genes to cancer cells, announced today that it closed its previously announced common stock offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. The Company sold an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $3.50 per share for gross proceeds to the Company of $17.5 million, before deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses. There were no warrants issued in the offering.

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™.

Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX), closed Friday's trading session at $5.33, up 21.6895%, on 11,733,312 volume with 33,750 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 6,383,975 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.231000006/$5.75.

Recent News

• Genprex, Inc. Announces Closing of $17,500,000 Common Stock Offering At-The-Market and Without Warrants
• Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) Prices $17,500,000 Common Stock Offering At-The-Market
• Genprex, Inc. Prices $17,500,000 Common Stock Offering Priced At-The-Market and Without Warrants

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

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Standard Lithium Ltd. (OTC: STLHF).

Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSXV: SLL) (OTCQX: STLHF) (FRA: S5L) is pleased to announce that due to strong market demand, the previously announced $9 million non-brokered private placement of special warrants (each, a “Special Warrant”) has now closed oversubscribed for gross proceeds of $12,105,165.  In connection with closing, the Company has issued 16,140,220 Special Warrants at a price of $0.75 per Special Warrant.

Standard Lithium Ltd. (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.

Standard Lithium Ltd. (OTC: STLHF), closed Friday's trading session at $0.685, up 3.6936%, on 4,450 volume with 11 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 34,181 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.391999989/$0.865000009.

Recent News

• Standard Lithium Raises $12 Million in Oversubscribed Private Placement
• Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSX.V: SLL) (OTCQX: STLHF) (FRA: S5L) Increases Private Placement to $9M Based on Strong Interest
• Standard Lithium Increases Private Placement to $9 Million to Accommodate Strong Demand

GP Solutions (OTC: GWPD)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight GP Solutions (GWPD).

GP Solutions (OTC: GWPD), the developer of "GrowPods" – controlled environment automated micro-farms, can offer a solution to the ongoing problem of contaminated lettuce. To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/5Nmo2.

GP Solutions (OTC: GWPD) is developing scalable farming systems for soil-less indoor organic farming. The company’s GrowPods are automated micro-farms that use hydroponic technology and unique soil systems to cultivate the highest-quality specialty leaf crops. The system is designed and engineered for ease of use, allowing users to farm year-round in any location of the world, supporting the company’s mission to provide customers with the ability to cultivate their own organic “superfoods.”

GrowPod Design & Function

GrowPod is a modular, stackable and mobile vertical growing environment specifically engineered to maximize yield and automation. GrowPods are available as a vertical pod, stacker pod or custom-built pod.

The Stacker Pod is a certified organic soil system that offers growers multiple levels of planting in order to maximize space and produce options with different fruits and vegetables. The Vertical Pod utilizes a vertical hydroponic system. It is affordable, scalable, efficient, automated and sustainable. The output provides customers with fresh and clean produce year-round in any climate. The Custom Pod is built to suit the farmer’s specific crop and grow goals.

Each 320-square-foot GrowPod container will have an annual production capability of up to four times that of outdoor growing methods, dramatically increasing profitability to the grower. The controlled environment of the GrowPod ensures efficient power and water usage in growing a wide range of horticultural and agricultural products in all environments and climates.

Thanks to a combination of hydroponic and certified organic soil systems, crop yields are higher, faster, and more consistent that conventional means. Customers can enjoy an average of eight higher yield crop cycles anywhere in the world.

GrowPod Features:

• Modular, stackable and mobile
• Fully insulated, food-grade shipping container
• Engineered for automation
• Efficient LED lighting
• Hydroponic or soil-based platforms
• Proprietary air and water filtration
• Climate-controlled
• Remote monitoring

GP Solutions also offers many services to its customers, including:

• Shipment and installation service of its shipping container farms
• On-site training
• Provision of custom planting and harvesting schedule
• Provision of growing supplies, seeds, nutrients, packaging, branding and repair materials
• On-site visits, on-call and scheduled maintenance, and re-supply
• Remote monitoring and automated control of environmental nutrients, environmental growth factors (PH, temperature, light) and circulation
• Technical assistance
• Consulting and custom facility systems design

Competitive Advantage

GrowPods allow cultivation to take place year-round, which maximizes ROI. The systems are sealed from outside pathogens, contaminants, pesticides, and the result is clean and robust crop production.

GP Solutions also has a line of remarkable new proprietary soil mixtures and nutrient lines which contain no animal products. These products are vital, as many other soils and additives can contain harmful pathogens and contaminants that can cause crops to become tainted or fail rigorous testing.

Global Solution

GP Solutions has partnered with the world’s leading food nonprofit companies, including Feeding America, Seeds of Hope, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels America, L.A. Kitchen, and Farm Bread, to help insecure communities take control of their own food dependence using container farms.

GP Solutions (GWPD), closed Friday's trading session at $0.61, up 1.6667%, on 705 volume with 5 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 470 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.600000023/$21.00.

Recent News

• GP Solutions, Inc. (GWPD) Offers Solutions After Consumer Reports-Issued Warning Describing Leafy Greens as “Perhaps one of the Riskiest Foods”
• GrowPods Offers Solutions After Consumer Reports Issues Warning on Lettuce
• GP Solutions, Inc. (GWPD) Featured in iGrow News Article that Describes Capabilities of Controlled Environment Micro-Farms to Produce Food That Is “Better Than Organic”