Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: KSCP)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: KSCP).

Knightscope (NASDAQ: KSCP) is maintaining its momentum as a leading developer of autonomous security robots ("ASR") and blue light emergency communication systems. The company continues to see contracts — both new and renewals — as it works to make the United States the safest country in the world.

The company's most recent renewal is with a well-known media and entertainment company. The client, which first signed with Knightscope seven years ago to patrol one of its North Hollywood properties, has renewed its contract for 24/7/365 ASR surveillance.

In addition, Knightscope announced that Texas State University ("TSU") has inked a deal with Knightscope to service 103 emergency phone systems on campus. This company has seen growth in the emergency communications space since its 2022 acquisition of CASE Emergency Systems. "Like its ASR business, Knightscope is, to its very core, a service organization," the announcement states. "Public safety professionals are highly valued and deserve quick, easy, personalized and empathetic attention to help protect the places people live, work, study and visit."

The company also recently announced an upcoming town hall gathering. During the town hall event, slated for May 15, 2023, at 1 p.m. PT, Knightscope will share 2023 financial and corporate highlights. According to the announcement, Knightscope chair and CEO William Santana Li will announce the company's first-quarter 2023 performance metrics in a prerecorded video update. A live Q&A online forum will follow during which supporters, investors and analysts can ask questions.

To attend the town hall, visit https://ibn.fm/BtO09

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/yQvRZ

Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: KSCP), founded in 2013 and based in Mountain View, California, is a leader in the development of autonomous security capabilities targeting to disrupt the $500 billion security industry. Knightscope’s technology uniquely combines self-driving technology, robotics, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles.

Knightscope designs and builds Autonomous Security Robots (ASRs) that provide 24/7/365 security to the places you live, work, visit and study. The company’s client list covers public institutions and commercial business operations, including multiple Fortune 1000 companies to date. These ASRs have been proven to enhance safety at hospitals, logistics facilities, manufacturing plants, schools and corporations. ASRs act as highly cost-effective complementary systems to traditional security and law enforcement officials, providing an additional advantage by continuing to offer uninterrupted patrolling capabilities across the country.

The company’s ASRs have assisted in the arrest of suspects involved in crimes ranging from armed robbery to hit-and-runs. Their machine-embedded thermal scanning capability even aided in preventing the breakout of a major fire. You can learn more about the crime fighting wins at www.knightscope.com/crime

The company has achieved several milestones since its creation in 2013, including:

• Establishing itself in a 15,000-square-foot facility located in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley, where Knightscope designs, engineers and builds its technology (Made in the USA)
• Operating for more than 1 million hours in the field and securing contracts across five time zones, from Hawaii to Rhode Island
• Raising over $100 million since inception to build its technology from scratch and generating over $13 million in lifetime revenue, validating both the market opportunity and the technology

Growth Capital & Proposed Nasdaq Listing

With backing from more than 28,000 investors and four major corporations and over $100 million raised since inception, Knightscope is poised to be an industry leader in the future of public safety and security.

On December 1, 2021, Knightscope announced the commencement of an offering of up to $40 million of its Class A common stock, with shares to be listed immediately following closing on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol ‘KSCP’. The offering is for up to 4 million shares priced at $10 per share. Learn more at www.knightscope.com/investors

Company Mission – Reimagining Public Safety

Knightscope’s long-term vision has an eye on the greater good. The company’s mission is to make the United States of America the safest nation in the world while supporting the 2+ million law enforcement and security professionals across the country.

Crime has an estimated negative economic impact in excess of $2 trillion annually. As crime is reduced, positive impacts will likely be realized across several aspects of society, including housing, financial markets, insurance, municipal budgets, local business and safety in general.

Knightscope CEO William Santana Li was interviewed by Kevin O’Leary, more commonly known as Shark Tank’s Mr. Wonderful. When asked to explain how the benefits provided by the ASRs outrank a human doing the same job, Li said, “First, just the simple presence of a physical deterrent causes criminal behavior to change. Second, the machines are self-driving cars that patrol all around and recharge themselves. They also generate 90 terabytes of data per year. No human would ever be able to process that. The robots are intended to be eyes and ears for the humans, not a one-to-one replacement.”

The Knightscope solution to reduce crime combines the physical presence of ASRs, sometimes referred to as proprietary Autonomous Data Machines, with real-time onsite data collection and analysis. The ASRs are fitted with eye-level 360° cameras, thermal scanning, public address announcements and various other features that work in tandem with humans to provide law enforcement officers and security guards unprecedented situational awareness.

Those 90 terabytes of data are then formatted in a useable way, so law enforcement can leverage that information and execute their responsibilities more effectively.

Public Safety Innovation

The company’s recurring revenue business model is set up to mimic the recurring societal problem of crime, and it takes into consideration the fact that innovation in the security and public safety industry has been stagnant for decades. Because the traditional practices of the sector have remained unchanged for years, automation has potential to drive substantial cost savings – and significant improvement in capabilities.

Human security guards are one of both the largest expenses and the largest liabilities for companies. Knightscope’s robots are offered at an effective price of $3 to $9 per hour, compared with approximately $85 for an armed off-duty law enforcement officer and $15 to $35 for an unarmed security guard.

This innovation has the potential to drive considerable cost savings. Based on these estimates, manufacturing costs can be recovered as soon as the first year of operation.

Product Offerings

The company has nine patents and a framework of unique intellectual property. Knightscope currently offers a K1 stationary machine, a K3 indoor machine and a K5 outdoor machine. A K7 multi-terrain four-wheel version is in development.

The ASRs autonomously patrol client sites without the need for remote control, providing a visible, force multiplying, physical security presence to help protect assets, monitor changes in the area and deter crime. The data is accessible through the Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC), an intuitive, browser-based interface that enables security professionals to review events generated by the ASRs providing effectively ‘mobile smart eyes and ears’. Learn more at www.knightscope.com/ksoc

The ASRs and the related technologies were developed ground up by the company and are Made in the USA.

The Robot Roadshow

Knightscope has created the ultimate hybrid physical and virtual event, bringing its Autonomous Security Robot technologies to cities across the country for interactive and in-person demonstrations.

Each roadshow landing is hosted virtually by a Knightscope expert, and visitors can interact directly with each of the company’s ASRs and see the Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC) user interface in action. Learn more at www.knightscope.com/roadshow

Management Team

Chief Executive Officer William Santana Li is a veteran entrepreneur, a former executive at Ford Motor Company and the founder of GreenLeaf, a company that grew to be the world’s second-largest automotive recycler and is now part of LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ).

Chief Client Officer Stacy Dean Stephens brings his experience as a former Dallas law enforcement officer, as well as his skills as a seasoned entrepreneur, to assist on the client acquisition side.

Chief Intelligence Officer Mercedes Soria is an award-winning technologist and former Deloitte software engineer.

Chief Design Officer Aaron Lehnhardt brings over two decades of two- and three-dimensional product and industrial design in modeling and VR to the table, on top of his experience as a senior designer at Ford Motor Company.

Chief Financial Officer Mallorie Burke is a seasoned financial executive and strategic advisor for both private and publicly traded technology companies with a successful track record of mergers & acquisitions, corporate growth and exit strategies, including public listings.

General Counsel Peter Weinberg leverages 30 years of diverse corporate counsel experience, spanning from startups to well-established companies, private and public. He has significant experience training personnel at all levels in critical areas to improve corporate compliance and productivity.

Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: KSCP), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.515, up 2.4876%, on 562,049 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 505,481 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.491/$4.5197.

Recent News

• Knightscope (NASDAQ: KSCP) - InvestorNewsBreaks - Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: KSCP) Reports New TSU Contract, Renewal by Longtime Client; Announces Town Hall Meeting
• Texas State University Awards Knightscope Contract and Long Time Client Renews for 7th Year
• Knightscope Announces First Quarter Town Hall Update

Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN)

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

Cepton (NASDAQ: CPTN), a Silicon Valley innovator and leader in high-performance lidar solutions, today announced business updates and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. Among the business highlights, Cepton reported OEM series production execution and that it is on-track to receive final production validation for salable vehicles and continue to ship pre-production lidar units for multiple vehicle models. In addition, Cepton has completed final implementation of embedded software, including cybersecurity, over-the-air updates, functional safety and multiple custom features for OEMs. As detailed in the announcement, the company will host a live conference call and webcast to discuss the business updates and results at 2:30 p.m. PT on May 10. "We started fiscal year 2023 with strong progress on our commercial activities," said Jun Pei, Cepton's co-founder and CEO. "We are hyper-focused on recent RFQ activity with two top global OEMs. Cepton's recently announced expanded ASIC chipset will further separate us from our peers and drive lidar adoption in consumer vehicles for automotive series production."

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/MljTq

Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN) is a provider of state-of-the-art, intelligent, lidar-based solutions serving a range of markets, including automotive (ADAS/AV), smart cities, smart spaces and smart industrial applications. General Motors (NYSE:GM) has granted a series production award for Cepton’s lidar, the biggest such award to date in the automotive space. Cepton’s is the lidar component of GM’s Ultra Cruise autonomous driving platform. By leveraging its patented Micro Motion Technology (MMT®) lidar platform, the company develops reliable, scalable and cost-effective solutions that deliver long-range, high-resolution 3D perception for smart applications.

Cepton was established in 2016 by co-founders Dr. Jun Pei and Dr. Mark McCord. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California, and serves a fast-growing customer base through an international presence spanning North America, Germany, Japan, India and China.

Micro Motion Technology (MMT®)

Cepton was built from the ground up to meet key lidar industry challenges for mass market adoption. This company’s portfolio of proprietary technology is uniquely aimed at facilitating this industry growth through a combination of performance, reliability, affordability and design integration.

Key among its innovations is MMT®, a mirrorless, frictionless, rotation-free 3D imaging platform designed specifically for lidars. Its benefits for OEMs and system integrators include:

• Reliability – The durable design uses common, easily attainable materials.
• Versatility – The platform is capable of achieving near- to ultra-long range with a wide field of view.
• Efficiency – MMT® features a compact form factor, low power usage and inexpensive components.
• Scalability – Its simple design means that scale-up to high manufacturing volumes is easily attainable.

Because of their compact form factor, Cepton lidars are embeddable and ideally suited for advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) integration, whether behind windshield, in headlamp or in fascia.

Agreement with KOITO

KOITO Manufacturing Co. Ltd., the world’s premier Tier 1 auto lighting supplier, originally started an evaluation of Cepton’s MMT® based lidars in 2018. In 2020, KOITO made an investment in Cepton aimed at accelerating the company’s development and enabling KOITO’s industrialization of high-performance and high reliability lidar sensors for ADAS and autonomous vehicle (AV) applications.

Through this collaboration, Cepton was able to secure the largest ADAS lidar series production award[1] with General Motors as a sole source in the automotive space. The award covers GM vehicles for the initial period of 2023-2027.

On August 5, 2021, the two companies deepened their relationship when KOITO committed to invest a further $50 million in Cepton’s business through its participation in a Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE) offering of shares of common stock of Growth Capital Acquisition Corp. in connection with Cepton’s recent merger.

Collaboration with GM

On July 13, 2021, Cepton announced that it had secured an ADAS lidar series production award from a leading, Detroit-based global automotive OEM – the biggest lidar production award by any OEM to any lidar company. It was later clarified that the OEM was General Motors, and Cepton’s lidar is part of GM’s ADAS Ultra Cruise system.

GM is “expected to deploy Cepton lidars in its next generation of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) across multiple vehicle classes and models – not just luxury cars.” As such, the agreement marks the potential for “an industry-first, mass-market adoption of lidar technology for automotive ADAS, with an anticipated deployment in consumer vehicles starting in 2023.”

On July 28, 2021, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) distributed an article on Medium noting, “Ford has been engaged with Cepton almost since their inception in 2016, both for R&D collaboration and small-scale deployments. Cepton LiDAR are deployed in some of [Ford’s] smart city projects. Based on Ford’s guidance, Cepton delivered a custom version of their LiDAR to enable R&D on advanced ADAS features.”

Market Outlook

Driven by increasing development and adoption in automobile safety applications, environmental mapping and 3D-modeling, the global lidar market is forecast to experience considerable growth over the coming years. A research report published by MarketsAndMarkets suggests that the sector will grow to an estimated $3.4 billion by 2026, achieving a CAGR of 21.6% over the next five years.

The report further highlights increasing investments in lidar startups by automotive giants as a driver of growth opportunities in the sector, particularly in North America.

In 2020, ground-based lidar accounted for the lion’s share of the overall lidar market, and this trend is expected to continue as the automotive sector continues to rapidly advance adoption across the full spectrum of vehicle classes. One factor not to be underestimated is the high barrier of entry and the exceptionally long time required for automotive OEMs to vet and award a production win to a lidar company. It is a commonly held view that the over 50 lidar companies will inevitably coalesce into a handful serving all OEMs.

Cepton, having a head start through its established partnership with leading global OEM GM, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this market growth in the years to come.

Management Team

Cepton’s founder-led team is made up of lidar industry pioneers with decades of collective experience across advanced lidar and imaging technologies.

Jun Pei, Ph.D., is the company’s CEO and Co-Founder. He is a technology specialist with a focus in optics and electronics. Prior to founding Cepton, Dr. Pei founded AEP Technology, a firm focused on developing advanced 3D optical instruments. He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

Mark McCord, Ph.D., is Cepton’s CTO and Co-Founder. Prior to founding Cepton, he led advanced development at KLA-Tencor. Dr. McCord also formerly served as an associate professor at Stanford University, where he earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering.

Winston Fu, Ph.D., is the company’s CFO. Dr. Fu is the founder of Silicon Valley venture capital firm LDV Partners. Prior to joining Cepton, he served as CFO and Chairman of Active-Semi before its acquisition. Dr. Fu has also helped to build many technology companies as an entrepreneur and/or board member. He received his Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University, as well as an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

[1] Largest known ADAS lidar series production award based on number of vehicle models awarded

Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.438, up 7.9615%, on 515,127 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $4.5197/$.

Recent News

• Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN) - InvestorNewsBreaks - Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN) Announces Q1 2023 Results, to Host Live Call and Webcast
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN), NVIDIA Collaborating to Integrate Leading Lidar Tech into Driving Simulation Platform
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN) Appoints Seasoned Veteran as Customer Program Director on Detroit Team

Sharing Services Global Corporation (SHRG)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Sharing Services Global Corporation (SHRG).

Sharing Services Global (OTCQB: SHRG) and its wholly owned subsidiary, The Happy Co., have launched a new product called PerX(TM). A refreshing nootropic energy drink, PerX Berry Blast supports mental focus and increased energy. The Happy Co. is a leading producer and distributor of nootropic, functional beverage products with a focus on health and wellness. The announcement noted that a 30-day supply of PerX is available via the company's network of independent brand partners on the company's website. "This tasty drink delivers ultimate mental focus and healthy, happy energy to the ‘X' power," said Sharing Services CEO John "JT" Thatch in the press release. "We're talking exponentially better. Plus. Our goal with PerX is to give brand partners and our customers a product with potent, natural appetite-control ingredients that can assist in activating your metabolism and providing energy throughout the day. We are excited to launch this new product category, which addresses the current needs of consumers."

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/QvypH

Sharing Services Global Corporation (SHRG), formerly Sharing Services Inc., is a diversified company dedicated to maximizing shareholder value, operating through two primary subsidiaries: Elepreneurs Holdings, a direct-selling company, and Elevacity Holdings, a products company. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, SHRG markets and distributes Elevate-branded health and wellness products through an independent sales force of distributors called Elepreneurs.

Proprietary Products

SHRG’s current exclusive Elevate product offerings are marketed under the Elevacity brand, so named to signify the company’s commitment to elevating lives.

The Elevate health and wellness product line consists of nutraceutical products that SHRG refers to as D.O.S.E., which stands for dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins – all of which are key hormones proven to promote happiness and well-being.

Elevacity brand products are carefully formulated, chosen and designed to support a single objective: elevate the happiness and well-being of the consumer.

Global Network of Elepreneurs

Elevacity products are shared and sold by a growing international network of home-based entrepreneurs, called Elepreneurs, operated by Elepreneurs Holdings. This SHRG subsidiary provides basic and advanced programs for both new and experienced entrepreneurs who are focusing on their direct-sales careers.

SHRG’s high-performing independent sales force follows the company’s Blue Ocean selling strategy, an approach that encourages individuals to seek new markets, lead, and to “stop competing and start creating.” The Blue Ocean strategy is based on the book, “Blue Ocean Strategy,” written by Professor Renée Mauborgne, who notes that “the lesson here is that the best defense is offense, and the best offense… is to make a blue ocean shift and create your own blue ocean.”

Following this selling strategy, SHRG’s Elepreneurs are taught that, rather than competing directly in a competitive, direct-selling market, they should focus on making competitors irrelevant and succeeding in an uncontested marketplace.

In addition, SHRG’s Elepreneurs use the interactive, video-based VERB sales-marketing platform developed by Verb Technology Company Inc. The app utilizes proprietary interactive video data collection and analysis technology and provides next-generation customer relationship management, lead generation, and video marketing software applications.

Continued Momentum as Industry Leader

These selling strategies have resulted in sharp and consistent revenue gains. In the company’s 10-Q filed with the SEC for the three months ended Oct. 31, 2019, SHRG reported sales of $38.8 million for fiscal Q2 2019, an increase of 116% over sales of $17.9 million reported for the comparable quarter of 2018. Consolidated gross profit jumped by $16.2 million to $27.4 million for the same period compared to Q2 2018.

SHRG’s consolidated operating earnings were $3.9 million in the fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31, 2019, compared to $866,802 for the comparable period the prior year. Consolidated gross margin also grew 70.9% for the three months ended Oct. 31, 2019, compared to 62.2% the prior year.

These numbers are continuing a trend established over the past two years. In fiscal Q1 2019, SHRG achieved revenues of $35.4 million, more than double that of the comparable period in 2018. Even earlier, the company reported sales of $85.9 million for fiscal year ended April 30, 2019. This represents a nine-fold increase, or $77.5 million jump, over the company’s revenues of $8.4 million the prior year.

These numbers bring SHRG’s sales revenues since December 2017 — when the company’s Elevate product line was released — to an impressive cumulative total of $169 million.

Preparing for Success

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

In addition, the company has a seasoned, expert leadership team in place, led by John “JT” Thatch. Thatch was appointed president and CEO of SHRG in March 2018, bringing to the company his expertise obtained from successfully starting, owning and operating several businesses in various industries. His experience with corporate growth, acquisitions, financing and negotiation in fast-paced and flexible environments will significantly assist SHRG as the company aims to expand and increase revenues.

Contact
469.304.9400 x 201
Info@SHRGinc.com
http://www.SHRGinc.com

Sharing Services Global Corporation (SHRG), closed the day's trading session at $1.01, up 23.17%, on 276,351 volume with 217 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 279,074 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.27/$2.54.

Recent News

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Fintech Ecosystem Development Corp. (NASDAQ: FEXD)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Progressive Care Inc. (OTCQB: FEXD).

FinTech Ecosystem Development Corp. is a SPAC whose goal is to identify and engage in business combinations with businesses that have developed or are developing technology that enables communities and companies to store and transfer money

The company is targeting developing countries, particularly those in South Asia, a region where vast sections of the population are underbanked or unbanked

85FEXD plans to leverage its management's experience in the Fintech sector to identify high-growth targets primarily operating in South Asia with a high volume of customers and growing demand

Experts believe that Asia is a ripe market for financial innovation, given that it is home to the world's youngest workforce and consumer groups with a high adoption rate of mobile and digital technologies

More than seventy percent of the adult population in South-East ("SE") Asia is either unbanked or underbanked, according to consultancy firm Bain (https://ibn.fm/w4Ulu), with the World Bank separately reporting that South Asia accounts for over twenty percent of all unbanked adults in the world (https://ibn.fm/X6Zao). But as Tzu-Chung Liang, a South-East Asia financial services strategy and transaction leader at consultancy firm EY, tells the Financial Times, there is a silver lining: "Asia has one of the world's youngest workforce and consumer groups, with a high adoption rate of mobile and digital technologies, so it's a ripe market for financial innovation" (https://ibn.fm/hgA10). This potential has sparked the interest of Fintech Ecosystem Development (NASDAQ: FEXD), a special-purpose acquisition company ("SPAC") formed to develop a global financial technology system. FEXD's goal is to identify and engage in a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with a business – or more – that has developed or is developing technology that enables communities and companies to store and transfer money within developing countries and across international borders.

Fintech Ecosystem Development Corp. (NASDAQ: FEXD) is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) formed for the purpose of effecting one or more business combinations with an intent to focus on the financial technology sector.

The company’s mission is to create and grow a global financial services ecosystem to address unmet mobile money needs in developing and industrialized countries and markets. FEXD plans to achieve this by acquiring and merging with financial technology pioneers that have the potential to help establish its global fintech ecosystem, and by continuing the development of proprietary technologies and applications to keep the company at the forefront of the cashless society market.

Digital money is replacing physical cash. Consumers can buy products and services from anywhere in the world and make payments across borders. Parents can send money to students studying in other countries. Migrant workers are sending money to families in developing nations. Rural villagers without banks can send and receive money using their smartphones. FEXD is developing mobile transaction platforms, applications and services that are helping to implement these changes.

The company plans to offer a diverse portfolio of products and services to consumers and businesses in the United States, South Asia, East Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Its growth strategy includes acquisition, innovation and market development.

FEXD is a Delaware corporation based in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The company was launched in May 2021 by a management team led by Dr. Saiful Khandaker that has extensive experience in developing and managing financial service platforms and applications, primarily in the mobile money sector. FEXD is sponsored by Revofast LLC.

Acquisition Targets

In September 2022, FEXD announced definitive agreements for business combinations with Rana Financial Inc., a Georgia corporation, and Mobitech International LLC (dba Afinoz), a limited liability company organized in the United Arab Emirates. The agreements call for Rana and Afinoz to become wholly owned subsidiaries of FEXD, with the combined company expected to continue trading on the Nasdaq under existing ticker symbol ‘FEXD’. The mergers are expected to close in Q2 2023.

Rana Financial

Rana Financial is a licensed money transfer company founded in 2009. Rana provides fast and affordable online and mobile transfer of funds between the U.S. and Latin America. Rana has been providing money transfer services in the U.S. market for 13 years and has 30,000 active users. Rana’s money transfer business grew to 200,000 transactions in 2021. The merger agreement values Rana at an implied $78 million enterprise value.

Mobitech International LLC

Mobitech International LLC (dba Afinoz) is an artificial intelligence-enabled digital lending platform used by India’s leading banks, non-banking financial companies and fintech loan providers. Afinoz’s fintech platform supports enterprises making loans primarily to middle- and working-class borrowers via its website or through its mobile phone application. Afinoz’s platform makes loans available and affordable to millions of Indian workers and unbanked users by providing access at a low cost. Afinoz’s platform has more than 50 lending partners, and its database of registered users in India includes more than two million individuals. The merger agreement values Afinoz at an implied $120 million enterprise value.

Market Opportunity

According to analysis by global market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the worldwide financial technology market is valued at approximately $194 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to nearly $500 billion by 2028, representing a CAGR of 18.97% for the forecast period. According to the report, various financial crises and the COVID-19 pandemic have fueled consumer adoption of, and investor interest in, fintech over the past several years.

Management Team

Dr. Saiful Khandaker is Founder, CEO and President of FEXD. He is Group CEO and founder of FAMA Holdings Inc., a global developer of fintech platforms, applications and services based in the U.S. with offices in the U.K., India, Bangladesh and Zambia. He is currently leading the development of the FAMACASH™ network, a global fintech ecosystem to provide fast, affordable mobile money services in underserved countries such as Bangladesh. Before founding FAMA, Dr. Khandaker spent more than two decades leading the development of software solutions for Fortune 100 companies and startups. He also helped numerous clients modernize their fintech services as Chief Technology Officer at Mi3. He holds a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership, a Master of Science in Technology Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems.

Jenny Junkeer is CFO at FEXD. She is a Chartered Accountant with over 17 years of experience. As CEO of Junkeer New Era Consulting, she leads a team specializing in helping companies launch and optimize business operations in fast-changing industries. She has extensive experience helping organizations scale operations to maximize value. She is an Adjunct Association Professor at Deakin University in Australia, a board member of the Global Health Initiative Foundation, and Director of Implementation at ConnectCV. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Honors) from Monash University.

FingerMotion Inc. (FEXD), closed Wednesday's trading session at $10.52, even for the day. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $9.96/$11.00.

Recent News

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SideChannel Inc. (OTCQB: SDCH)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight SideChannel Inc. (OTCQB: SDCH).

SideChannel (OTCQB: SDCH), a provider of cybersecurity services and technology to emerging and middle market companies, is reporting its financial results for the three months and six months ended March 31, 2023. Highlights of the report show $1.6 million revenue an increase of 30.9% from Q2 2022; 4.6% sequential quarter growth; gross margin of 45.6%; net loss of $0.9 million or $0.01 per share; and $5.7 million trailing 12-month revenue; Other notable figures include 83% revenue retention for the 12-month period ended March 31, 2023, and new-client contracts representing $2 million potential annual revenue. As of March 31, the company reported $1.9 million cash, with cash used in operations during the quarter totaling $0.7 million. "We are delighted to see our strategy substantiated by our year-over-year revenue growth of 30.9% for the quarter and 38.5% for the year-to-date," said SideChannel president and CEO Brian Haugli in the press release. "We believe our new client pipeline remains strong as reflected by the new contracts with $2 million of potential annual revenue we secured during the first six months of this fiscal year. These new contracts will fuel our growth during the second half of the year. We anticipate gaining additional new clients during the next six months to set us up for further growth going into the next fiscal year. . . . We made investments in growth since closing the business combination in July 2022, and we are seeing the benefits. We expect to experience continued revenue growth from these investments. Recently our team put a more focused emphasis on achieving net income and positive cash flow by improving gross margins and reducing non-customer facing operating expenses."

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/KdIWN

SideChannel Inc. (OTCQB: SDCH) simplifies cybersecurity for mid-market companies by matching them with highly experienced information security officers at a cost lower than building an in-house information security team or hiring a full-time CISO.

SideChannel’s team of virtual Chief Information Security Officers (vCISOs) possesses a combined 400-plus years of experience in cybersecurity. They’ve honed their skills and abilities in places like Anthem, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy, TD Bank and the Pentagon. SideChannel lends this talent to clients, creating value in the form of a bespoke cybersecurity program perfectly sized for the growing enterprise.

SideChannel is committed to creating top-tier cybersecurity programs for SMBs to help them protect their data and assets. To date, SideChannel has created more than 50 multi-layered cybersecurity programs for its clients.

Reports show that cyberattacks on SMBs have increased in recent years, as organizations’ network attack surfaces have grown exponentially with remote and in-office workers increasingly relying on cloud environments, mobile devices, software applications and third-party suppliers to conduct business.

SideChannel continues expanding its service offerings, workforce and customer base, attracting over 20 virtual CISOs to serve across industries including fintech, biotech, healthcare, manufacturing, legal, defense and technology services. The company is based in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Market Opportunity

An analysis from ReportLinker states that the global cybersecurity market is expected to grow from an estimated value of $173.5 billion in 2022 to $266.2 billion by 2027, recording a CAGR of 8.9% for the period.

The increased number of data breaches worldwide, the ability of malicious actors to operate from anywhere in the world, the links between cyberspace and physical systems, and the difficulty of reducing vulnerabilities and consequences in complex cyber networks are some factors driving cyber security market growth, according to the report.

A lack of cybersecurity professionals and the budget constraints among SMBs and start-ups in developing economies are expected to hinder market growth. Cybercriminals are using automated techniques to attack SMBs’ networks to take advantage of their weak security infrastructures. To save money, time and resources, SMBs are seeking cybersecurity solutions.

Enclave

Enclave expands upon SideChannel’s cybersecurity service offerings by solving a pervasive network security problem with a simple tool.

A comprehensive cloud and network security solution, Enclave enables IT teams to contain breaches faster, reduce network outages, minimize latency and strengthen overall security defense.

Enclave creates the foundation for a Zero Trust network security model IT can build upon.

With Enclave, IT can easily segment their company’s network, organize personnel and computing devices at the employee workload level, and implement security controls across all network segments.

Enclave was designed and purpose built to serve the growing security needs of SMBs, a traditionally underserved market that is more prone to cyberattacks but has limited protection due to smaller budgets, inadequate IT security staffing and a lack of cybersecurity awareness among top executives.

Enclave is an affordable and effective network security solution that shrinks the attack surface area exposed to a cyber intruder and significantly reduces the amount of effort required to operate securely.

Management Team

Brian Haugli is CEO of SideChannel. He has led programs for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, and Fortune 500 companies. He is an expert on National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance, threat intelligence implementations and strategic organizational initiatives. He is a professor at Boston College, Woods College of Advancing Studies Master’s Program in Cybersecurity. He is also a contributing author for the Wiley book ‘Cybersecurity Risk Management’.

Ryan Polk is CFO at SideChannel. He has been the principal of Perissos Partners, an executive consulting firm, since June 2017. He also served in executive roles in the portfolio companies owned by Lacy Diversified, with combined revenue approaching $2 billion. He served as the Vice President for Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis for Brightpoint, a publicly traded, Fortune 500 mobile device logistics company. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and industrial management from Purdue University.

Nicholas Hnatiw is Chief Technology Officer at SideChannel. Prior to joining the company, he served as the technical director for network operations supporting U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Intelligence Agencies and other Department of Defense research organizations. He was also the CEO of Loki Labs, a cyber security firm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and computer science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Bill Roberts is SideChannel’s CISO. He most recently served as the vice president, IS & CISO for Hologic Inc., a global medical device company, where he established cyber security and IT compliance programs. Prior to Hologic, he was vice president of information security for Cytyc Corporation, which was acquired by Hologic in 2007. At Cytyc, he managed global IT as the company grew from 140 employees to 1,500 and from $40 million in revenue to over $750 million.

SideChannel Inc. (OTCQB: SDCH), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.052, even for the day, on 1,003 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.0402/$0.18.

Recent News

• SideChannel Inc. (OTCQB: SDCH) - InvestorNewsBreaks - SideChannel Inc. (SDCH) Releases Financial Report, Shows 30.9% YOY
• SideChannel Strategy Validated by Revenue Growth of 30.9% Year-over-year in Second Quarter 2023
• Cybersecurity Threats Are Evolving Quickly, and SideChannel Inc. (SDCH) is Out to Offer Affordable and Effective Solutions for SMBs

NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) (NASDAQ: NXPLW)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) (NASDAQ: NXPLW).

NextPlat is led by a highly experienced management team, board of directors and advisors with proven expertise in M&A, finance, e-commerce, media, technology and health care

The company operates a state-of-the-art e-commerce platform serving customers in over 195 countries

NextPlat recently announced a new e-commerce development program in collaboration with Alibaba's Tmall Global to provide American businesses easy access to the Chinese consumer market, with plans to expand throughout the Americas

Positioned as the e-commerce platform of the future, NextPlat's system is now being upgraded with Web3 capabilities to seamlessly enable the sale of both tangible and digital assets

Its e-commerce model provides NextPlat with a globally diversified, 24/7 revenue-generating business model with increasing levels of recurring revenue

On April 13, 2023, the company announced its completion of a previously disclosed private placement transaction generating gross proceeds of approximately $6 million

NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) (NASDAQ: NXPLW), a next generation e-commerce platform, was created with vision and purpose to capitalize on high growth sectors and global markets. The company collaborates with businesses – large and small – to simplify and accelerate online commerce and uniquely enables customers and partners to optimize their e-commerce reach, presence and revenue. NextPlat recently launched a new e-commerce development program to provide American businesses with easy access to the massive Chinese consumer market.

Current Initiatives

NextPlat provides cutting edge technology in an advanced e-commerce ecosystem. The company is actively expanding its global network of online storefronts serving thousands of consumers, enterprises and governments. The company also has developed a next generation platform built for Web3 that enables the creation and sale of digital assets, as well as optimizing e-commerce transactions and business building activities. The company’s current initiatives include:

• E-Commerce Development Program – In April 2023, NextPlat announced it had entered into a merchant sourcing agreement with Alibaba.com Singapore E-Commerce Private Limited (“Alibaba”) and its Tmall Global e-commerce platform whereby the two companies will collaborate to increase the sale of products produced and sold by American companies to the multi-trillion-dollar Chinese consumer market. Alibaba’s Tmall Global e-commerce platform will provide NextPlat customers a turn-key solution through which products can be sold to the Chinese consumer market. The launch of the Florida E-Commerce Development Program is the first in a series of new NextPlat programs designed to assist U.S. businesses in expanding their online sales capabilities to reach new international customers in the Chinese market. NextPlat intends to rapidly expand this unique e-commerce development opportunity to businesses throughout the United States and all of North America, as well as Central and South America. The new development program features NextPlat’s turnkey global e-commerce solution for customers and leverages NextPlat’s relationships with key partners, including Tmall Global, China’s largest cross-border B2C online marketplace.
• Progressive Care Inc. – In August 2022, NextPlat completed a strategic $7 million investment in Progressive Care Inc. (OTCQB: RXMD), a personalized health care services and technology company. In a news release announcing the investment, NextPlat CEO Charles M. Fernandez noted that the company is “committed to harnessing the power of digital technologies to capitalize on the ongoing digital transformation of Progressive Care and the entire health care industry.” NextPlat intends to accelerate Progressive Care’s digital health care transformation with the launch of a new e-commerce platform for health care products later this year.
• NextPlat NFT Platform – Building on its existing e-commerce initiatives, NextPlat is working to bridge the gap between tangible and digital e-commerce marketplaces by incorporating burgeoning Web3 technologies. The company intends to launch a fully integrated NFT platform in the coming months that will enable brands to create, manage and authenticate digital assets while serving as a new source of revenue for NextPlat. Through this model, the company will receive a portion of the revenue generated from branded NFT drops, as well as subsequent secondary market transactions.
• Global Telesat Communications and Orbital SatCom Corp. – Targeting both domestic and international markets, NextPlat’s subsidiaries leverage partnerships with major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Alibaba, eBay and Walmart to serve a growing base that includes more than 50,000 corporate, governmental and individual customers. In total, the brands market more than 10,000 individual products, with a focus on satellite-based connectivity solutions. In addition to exploring accretive M&A opportunities, NextPlat aims to diversify its range of products and broaden its geographic footprint moving forward in an effort to better capitalize on the tremendous growth potential in the United States, Europe and Asia.

“Our goal for 2023 and beyond is to leverage our improved operational capabilities and enhanced leadership team as we expand our offerings in communications and connectivity into the high-growth health care market where we intend to launch an array of innovative new offerings,” Fernandez said in a March 2023 news release detailing the company’s record top-line performance. “Although there remain supply chain headwinds and the challenge of global inflation, we are confident that we have the right combination of market-tested expertise, technology and partnerships that will enable us to bring the power of e-commerce to more customers, brands and industries in the United States and abroad.”

Market Opportunity

The rapid growth of e-commerce over the last decade is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. According to data published by Forbes, roughly 20.8% of all retail purchases are expected to take place online in 2023, accounting for total sales of $6.31 trillion worldwide. It total, e-commerce sales are expected to grow by 10.4% YoY in 2023, accounting for a whopping 24% of all retail purchases by 2026.

For NextPlat, existing partnerships in the industry could be key to capitalizing on this growth. The Forbes report indicates that Amazon accounts for roughly 38.7% of e-commerce sales, while sites like Walmart, eBay and Alibaba round out the list of most visited e-commerce websites. Alibaba is especially interesting due to NextPlat’s recent strategic merchant sourcing agreement with Tmall Global. The Chinese market is “mammoth,” as a recent Alizila report noted. The country’s annual online retail sales of physical goods have nearly doubled in the last five years, reaching approximately 13.8 trillion yuan in 2022, which is nearly $2 trillion USD.

The health care portion of the e-commerce market is generating particularly bullish forecasts, bolstered by the continued adoption of the 340B Drug Pricing Program in the U.S., which requires most drug manufacturers to provide outpatient drugs to covered entities at significantly reduced prices. Industry reports suggest that the global health care e-commerce market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 16.8% from 2022 to 2030, climbing to a value of more than $1.37 trillion by the end of the forecast period.

Management Team

Charles M. Fernandez, CEO, Executive Chairman and Director of NextPlat, has over three decades of experience in identifying profitable start-up and dislocation opportunities, building significant value and executing exit strategies as an entrepreneur and global investor. Successful across multiple sectors, Fortune Magazine actually labeled Fernandez ‘a restructuring whiz’. As President of Fairholme Capital Management, which he joined in 2008, Mr. Fernandez co-managed all three Fairholme funds and brought in a $2 billion gain for shareholders. Throughout his impressive career, he has participated in more than 100 significant mergers, acquisitions and product development projects across multiple industries. Mr. Fernandez was the founder, Chairman and CEO of eApeiron Solutions LLC, a brand protection and e-commerce company in partnership with Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) and Eastman Kodak (NYSE: KODK), which was successfully sold to Smartrac, a unit of Avery Dennison Corp. (NYSE: AVY).

Rodney Barreto is Chairman and CEO of the Barreto Group and Director of Nextplat. Mr. Barreto’s business career spans over 35 years, including his role at the Barreto Group and, earlier, as the founding partner of Floridian Partners LLC, a corporate and public affairs consulting firm recognized by policy makers as one of the top in its industry in Florida. He chaired the Super Bowl Host Committee in 2007, 2010 and 2020, helping to raise more than $100 million for the success of Miami Super Bowls. As a philanthropist and conservationist, Mr. Barreto is also a three-time appointee to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, where he has served for over 10 years including holding the title of Chairman eight times. He has twice chaired the Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors, was Chairman of the 1999 Breeder’s Cup Championship held in South Florida and was the Chairman of the 1999 Sister Cities International Convention in Miami. Currently, Mr. Barreto is the Membership Chairman of the Florida Council of 100, and a member of the Boards of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, the Baptist Health South Florida Giving Society, the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, and a member of Miami Dade County Schools Superintendent Carvalho’s Business Advisory Council. Prior to his career in public affairs and real estate, Mr. Barreto was a City of Miami police officer and is a member of the Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council.

NextPlat Corp. (NXPL), closed Wednesday's trading session at $2.81, off by 1.4035%, on 45,225 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.2115/$4.26.

Recent News

• NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) (NASDAQ: NXPLW) - NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) Is 'One to Watch'
• InvestorNewsBreaks - NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL), Alibaba Group Partner to Launch New E-Commerce Program
• InvestorNewsBreaks - NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) Completes $6M Private Offering

BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV).

New research has found that one in every ten people in the United Kingdom suffers from an autoimmune illness. Autoimmune illnesses usually develop when the body's immune system starts to attack normal cells, destroying healthy tissues in the body. While experts don't know the exact cause of these illnesses, they believe genetics and environmental factors play a role in their development.

Some diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, are said to have risen in prevalence over the last couple of decades, leading researchers to hypothesize that autoimmune illnesses may be on the rise.

For their study, the researchers analyzed health records of 22 million individuals, with the objective of investigating 19 of the most common autoimmune disorders. Those disorders included rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, vitiligo, inflammatory bowel disease, Graves' disease, systemic sclerosis, coeliac disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, pernicious anemia, primary biliary cholangitis, Addison's disease, Sjogren's syndrome, vasculitis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Ankylosing spondylitis, polymyalgia rheumatica and myasthenia gravis. The rising prevalence of autoimmune diseases is driving many companies such as BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV) to invest in finding better treatments for these conditions afflicting people around the world.

BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing innovative products for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and other illnesses.

In collaboration with the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences (MPG) and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), both in Germany, BiondVax is developing a pipeline of innovative nanosized antibody (NanoAb) therapies addressing diseases underserved by current treatments and with large and growing markets, such as COVID-19, asthma and psoriasis.

NanoAbs, also known as VHH-antibodies or Nanobodies, are alpaca-derived nanosized antibodies that exhibit multiple significant competitive advantages over existing antibody therapies, including stability at high temperatures, superior binding affinity, more effective and convenient routes of administration and efficient production. BiondVax is uniquely positioned to advance nanosized antibody innovation from R&D through commercialization.

The company’s highly experienced and successful pharmaceutical industry leadership team includes former senior executives from Novartis, GSK and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Since its founding, BiondVax has executed eight clinical trials, including a seven-country, 12,400-participant Phase 3 trial of a prior influenza vaccine candidate, and it built, owns and operates a 20,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art GMP biologics manufacturing facility housing its laboratories, production facilities and offices.

Lead Candidate: Inhaled COVID-19 NanoAb

In December 2021, BiondVax signed definitive agreements with the Max Planck Society – parent organization of the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences– and the UMG to enter a strategic collaboration for the development and commercialization of innovative COVID-19 NanoAbs.

The company is planning a rapid development path that leverages its expertise and capabilities in biological drug development and manufacturing. BiondVax anticipates preclinical proof-of-concept results for an inhaled COVID-19 NanoAb by the end of 2022, with initial Phase 1/2a human clinical trial results expected in 2023.

The intended inhaled mechanism of delivery of BiondVax’s COVID-19 NanoAb formulation may serve as a significant differentiator when compared to approved monoclonal antibodies, which are injected. Inhaled delivery has shown to be cheaper, more convenient and likely safer for patients and providers.

NanoAb Pipeline: Psoriasis, Asthma and More

The COVID-19 NanoAb development agreement is part of a broader five-year research collaboration agreement signed in March 2022 covering discovery, development and commercialization of NanoAbs for several other disease indications with large market medical needs, including asthma, psoriasis, macular degeneration and psoriatic arthritis.

BiondVax has an exclusive worldwide license for development and commercialization of COVID-19 NanoAbs and exclusive options for similar worldwide licenses for NanoAbs for the above mentioned additional large market disorders currently underserved by approved therapeutic antibodies.

Academic research teams from MPG and UMG have verified strong affinity by the new NanoAbs to their biological target molecules and high thermostability. They have also demonstrated strong neutralization by several NanoAb candidates of their respective target molecules. Neutralization studies of the other NanoAbs are expected to begin later in 2022.

Based on the promising results, BiondVax will focus development efforts beginning with the following NanoAbs:

• NanoAbs targeting IL-17 as drug candidates for the potential treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis
• NanoAbs targeting IL-13 and NanoAbs targeting TSLP as drug candidates for the potential treatment of asthma

These are conditions for which the antibody target is validated by existing treatments and the mechanism of action is well understood. Both represent large medical needs and growing markets. BiondVax anticipates preclinical proof-of-concept for at least one of these NanoAbs in 2023. This is in addition to the aforementioned human clinical Phase 1/2a for the inhaled COVID-19 NanoAb therapy, which is also anticipated in 2023.

Market Opportunity

COVID-19 treatment, target of the company’s lead NanoAb therapy candidate, had an estimated market size of $22 billion in 2021.

Future BiondVax drug candidates will target conditions with large markets growing at attractive CAGRs.

The global asthma treatment market was valued at $18.08 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $26.01 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period, according to Fortune Business Insights. The research firm predicts that the global psoriasis treatment market will grow from $26.37 billion in 2022 to $47.24 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.7% over the forecast period.

Management Team

Amir Reichman is BiondVax’s CEO. He previously was Head of Global Vaccines Engineering Core Technologies at GSK Vaccines in Belgium. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at Novartis Vaccines’ Global Vaccines Supply Chain Management organization. He was the first employee of NeuroDerm Ltd., a company focused on transdermal drug delivery, and served as Chief Engineer and Senior Scientist until his departure in 2009. He earned a M.Sc. in Biotechnology Engineering from Ben-Gurion University and an MBA in Finance and Health Care Management from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Tamar Ben-Yedidia, Ph.D., is Chief Science Officer at BiondVax. She has more than 30 years of experience in immunology, with specific expertise in the development of vaccines. She began her career with Biotechnology General Ltd., working on development of a recombinant Hepatitis-B vaccine. She later joined the Weizmann Institute of Science, working on the design of a peptide-based vaccine against several pathogens. She is widely published, with numerous refereed articles and invited reviews in various scientific journals. She received her Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute.

Elad Mark is COO at BiondVax. He has over 15 years of biotechnology industry experience encompassing diverse project stages including feasibility studies, conceptual and detailed design, commissioning, qualification and process validation. Prior to joining BiondVax, he led Novartis’s $800 million investment in a biologics facility in Singapore. With Biopharmax and Antero, both global pharmaceutical engineering companies, he successfully led projects in Israel, China and Singapore. He holds a BSc. in Engineering from the Afeka Tel Aviv Academic College of Engineering and an MBA from the Open University of Israel.

Uri Ben-Or is CFO at BiondVax. He has served as CFO with public life science companies traded on the TASE, OTC and Nasdaq. Ben-Or provides his services to BiondVax through CFO Direct, a company he founded and for which he serves as CEO. He served as the VP of Finance of Glycominds, a leading biotechnology company, and as CFO of a spin-off from Telrad Networks. He also served as a Corporate Controller at Menorah Capital Markets and as an Auditor at PWC. He holds a B.A. in Business from the College of Administration, an MBA from Bar-Ilan University, and is a CPA.

BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV), closed Wednesday's trading session at $1.86, off by 4.1237%, on 17,203 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.70/$15.60.

Recent News

• BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV) - Study Finds 10% of People in UK Have Autoimmune Disorders
• Researchers ID Antivirals That Can Fight New Infectious Illnesses
• Study Shows that Skin Conditions May Indicate Presence of Rheumatic Disease

FingerMotion Inc. (NASDAQ: FNGR)

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

FingerMotion (NASDAQ: FNGR) is an evolving technology company with a core competency in mobile payment and recharge platform solutions in China. It is one of only a few companies in China with access to wholesale rechargeable minutes from China's largest mobile phone providers to service their consumers. As the user base of its primary business continues to grow, the company is developing additional value-added technologies to market to its users. The vision of the company is to rapidly grow the user base through organic means and have this growth develop into an ecosystem of users with high engagement rates utilizing its innovative applications. Developing a highly engaged ecosystem of users would strategically position the company to onboard larger customer bases. FingerMotion eventually hopes to serve over 1 billion users in the China market and eventually expand the model to other regional markets. For more information, visit the company's website at www.fingermotion.com.

FingerMotion Inc. (NASDAQ: FNGR) is an evolving technological company with core competencies in mobile payment and recharge platform solutions in China. FingerMotion is in the process of developing additional value-added technologies to market to users.

Founded in 2016, FingerMotion’s goal is to serve over a billion users in the Chinese market and expand its model to other regional markets. The company has offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and New York City.

Current Offerings

FingerMotion is analyzing and transforming mobile data to improve the lifestyle of the public through technology and innovation. The company’s current offerings include:

• Telecommunications Products and Services – FingerMotion’s proprietary universal exchange platform, ‘PigeonHole Integration System (PIS)’, offers seamless integration between telecom operators and online stores. The service platform’s offerings include top up and recharge, data plan, mobile phone, loyalty points redemption and subscription plans. The platform offers reliable and secure transactions, real-time reconciliation, simple integration for partners and efficient settlements.
• SMS and MMS Services – The integrated platform is registered as FingerMotion’s IP in China and provides a robust back-end control panel for corporate partners to manage their own messaging settings. FingerMotion’s clients range from insurance to financial industries, ecommerce firms, airlines and more. The platform offers competitive pricing for partners and provides quick and efficient review to meet timely marketing initiatives.
• Big Data Insights – FingerMotion brings Big Data-enabled insurance solutions through its Big Data Insights arm, Sapientus. The company’s strategic partnerships with the largest Chinese telecommunications giants allow access to uncover behavior insights through geolocation and mobile data usage. Its Big Data offerings include risk scoring, precise marketing, simplified underwriting and customized products.
• Rich Communication Services (RCS) – FingerMotion’s RCS platform will be a proprietary business messaging solution that enables businesses and brands to communicate their services to customers via 5G infrastructure. The company expects its RCS platform to offer a better user experience, more efficiency and cost-effectiveness when compared to other solutions.

Telecommunications and Insurtech Markets

The global telecommunications market was valued at $1.74 trillion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% from 2020 to 2027. The steady increase is expected to be driven by the adoption of 5G and the increased popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

The Chinese telecom market was valued at $254.1 billion in 2017 and is also constantly expanding. The current Chinese telecom market is dominated by three mobile operators – China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, which together are responsible for around 1.6 billion active subscribers (https://ibn.fm/zfwy9).

In addition, the insurtech (insurance technology) market was valued at $2.72 billion globally in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 48.8% from 2021 to 2028. The large increase is attributed to the rising use of technology solutions for everyday activities like acquiring insurance coverage (https://ibn.fm/TGo7D).

Through its proprietary platforms and technologies, FingerMotion is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the telecom and insurtech markets’ growth and opportunities.

Management Team

Martin J. Shen is the Chief Executive Officer of FingerMotion Inc. He has over 15 years of experience in senior management roles within entrepreneurial startups and large multinational corporations. He has acquired a wide range of corporate management, financial oversight and operation administration expertise through these roles. In his most recent role, he founded Imperial Distributors (formerly known as AP Martin Pharmaceutical Supplies Ltd.), establishing the company as the preferred choice for distributional support to regional pharmacies throughout Western Canada. Before founding Imperial, Mr. Shen served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Wales and Son Industrial (formerly Weir Minerals), a firm specializing in global delivery and support for mining slurry equipment. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Vancouver, with work tours in the tax department in Singapore and the tax audit and advisory group in Hong Kong. Mr. Shen is a U.S. Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia.

Lee Yew Hon is the company’s Chief Financial Officer. From 2006 until November 2020, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Cubinet Interactive Group of Companies, and he also took on the Chief Operating Officer role in 2011. During his tenure, he was instrumental in leading Cubinet and building teams across the Southeast Asia region, setting up financial processes within a short time. Mr. Lee spearheaded the growth of Cubinet to other regions, including Europe, the Middle East and Russia. He received his diploma from Tunku Abdul Rahman College in 1996. He is a Chartered Accountant, a member of the Malaysia Institute of Accountants (MIA) and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK (ACMA).

Li Li is the Senior Vice President of FingerMotion. She recently served as Advisor to Shenzhen WuYiKa Technology Co. Ltd., a comprehensive service platform dedicated to online service distribution and payment. The company has become a fast and efficient provider of new media marketing solutions for the mobile internet. She has held high-level management positions with multiple industry names, including Hangzhou JiuYue Information Technology Co. Ltd. and Hangzhou LingXuan Information Technology. Ms. Li started her career in 2004, founding Shanghai ChuangYeZZ Network Technology Co. Ltd. and serving as its Vice President. With the close cooperation of local operators, the company launched SMS, MMS, WAP, mobile JAVA games, Hunan Satellite TV e-magazine and other wireless internet services to meet the rapid development of wireless internet and application requirements. She received her degree from Nanjing Academy of Engineering.

FingerMotion Inc. (FNGR), closed Wednesday's trading session at $1.8501, off by 7.9552%, on 151,914 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.62/$9.795.

Recent News

• FingerMotion Inc. (NASDAQ: FNGR) - FingerMotion, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNGR) Featured in Coverage of the Inaugural EF Hutton Global Conference
• InvestorNewsBreaks - FingerMotion Inc. (NASDAQ: FNGR) Retires All Outstanding Institutional Convertible Debt
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Creatd Inc. (NASDAQ: CRTD) Creates Advisory Board, Names Inaugural Member

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 Rare Metals (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) today provided a corporate update and announced that it intends to extend the term of certain outstanding convertible debentures, which currently have a maturity date of May 31, 2023. According to the update, the debentures were originally issued in May of 2020, with a three-year term. On May 21 and 29, 2020, Ucore issued 1,280 and 1,520 convertible debentures respectively, with a face value of $1,000 each for total gross proceeds of $2.8 million. These unsecured debentures bear interest at a rate of 7.5% payable semi-annually and mature on May 31, 2023. Per the terms of the convertible debentures, the company has the option to extend the maturity date by one year in exchange for the payment of an extension fee equal to 6-months interest. Ucore intends to exercise its right to extend the maturity date of the remaining outstanding convertible debentures by one year, with a resulting maturity date of May 31, 2024, and to pay the extension fee of $47,063.

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/yyfd5

Adamas Intelligence recently released a report which forecasts that the worldwide demand for neodymium magnets will rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% in the period between 2023 and 2040. Neodymium magnets or NdFeB as they are also known, are widely used rare-earth magnets made of iron, neodymium and boron.

Adamas Intelligence is an independent research and advisory company based in Toronto, Ontario, focused on critical minerals and metals research. The company believes the demand for the metals will be bolstered by the growth of the wind power and electric vehicle sectors. The report states that this growth will then increase the demand for critical rare earth elements such as terbium, dysprosium and didymium, which the magnets contain. The prediction also considers events and trends observed in the last couple of years.

The research firm's data shows that in 2022, the consumption of NdFeB magnets globally rose by 1.9% year over year, repressed by regional pandemic-related issues and global economic headwinds. Adamas' prediction also shows the production of terbium, dysprosium and didymium increasing in the aforementioned period at a CAGR of 5.2%, as the supply side struggles to keep pace with rapidly increasing demand. This bullish outlook for rare earth metals suggests that companies such as Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) could see sustained growth over the coming years as increasing demand results in higher prices.

Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) is engaged in Rare Earth Element (REE) resource development and in commercializing its critical metals separation technology, RapidSX™, for the mining and metals extraction industry. The company is guided by principles of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) with a focus on disrupting China’s current dominance of the U.S. REE supply chain.

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. It plans to aid in the development, through strategic partnerships, of a North American REE supply chain controlled by the U.S. and its allies.

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.

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 Wednesday's trading session at $0.7923, off by 6.6124%, on 26,353 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.40/$1.15.

Recent News

• Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) - Report Forecasts Demand Increase for Magnet Rare Earths
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) Issues Corporate Update, Extends Term of Outstanding Convertible Debentures
• Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) CEO: Superior REE Separation Tech Being Demo'd Will Give North America Advantage in Production

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX).

Lexaria Bioscience (NASDAQ: LEXX, LEXXW), a global innovator in drug delivery platforms, today announced the results of the 2023 Annual Meeting. According to the update, the company held the meeting at 1:00 p.m. PT on May 9, 2023, whereby there were 3,372,024 shares of the company represented in person or by proxy, constituting 56.3% of the company's issued share capital as of the meeting date of March 13, 2023. The matters voted upon and the final voting results are set forth as detailed in the announcement. All proposals are described in detail in Lexaria's proxy statement filed with the Securities Exchange Commission via Edgar and with the BC Securities Commission and Ontario Securities Commission via SEDAR on March 22, 2023.

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/oH14u

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) is a global innovator in drug delivery platforms. The company’s patented technology, DehydraTECH™, improves the way active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) enter the bloodstream by promoting healthier oral ingestion methods and increasing the effectiveness of fat-soluble active molecules. DehydraTECH promotes fast-acting, less expensive and more effective oral drug delivery and has been thoroughly evaluated through in vivo, in vitro and human clinical testing.

DehydraTECH is covered by 21 issued and more than 50 pending patents in over 40 countries around the world. Lexaria’s first patent was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in October 2016 (US 9,474,725 B1), providing 20 years of patent protection expiring June 2034. Multiple patents have been awarded since then and are expected in the future.

Lexaria has a collaborative research agreement with the National Research Council (NRC), the Canadian government’s premier research and technology organization. The company has filed for patent protection for specific delivery of nicotine, vitamins, NSAIDs, testosterone, estrogen, cannabinoids, terpenes, PDE5 inhibitors (with brand names like Viagra), tobacco and more.

Lexaria began developing DehydraTECH in 2014 and has since continued to strengthen and broaden the technology. The company has no plans to create or sell Lexaria-branded products containing controlled substances. Instead, Lexaria licenses its technology to other companies around the world to offer consumers the best possible performance across an array of ingestible product formats.

The company’s technology is best thought of as an additional layer that providers of consumer supplements, prescription and non-prescription drugs, nicotine and CBD products can utilize to improve the effectiveness of their own existing or planned new offerings. Lexaria has licensed DehydraTECH to multiple companies, including a world-leading tobacco producer for the research and development of smokeless, oral-based nicotine products, and for use in industries that produce cannabinoid beverages, edibles and oral products.

DehydraTECH is suitable for use with a wide range of product formats including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, consumer packaged goods and over-the-counter capsules, pills, tablets and oral suspensions.

DehydraTECH Technology

Lexaria’s DehydraTECH is designed specifically for formulating and delivering lipophilic (fat-soluble) drugs and active ingredients. DehydraTECH increases their effectiveness and improves the way active pharmaceutical ingredients enter the bloodstream. The major benefits to a subject ingesting a DehydraTECH-enabled drug or consumer product can be summarized by the following:

• Speeds up delivery – the effects of the product are felt by the subject in just minutes.
• Increases bioavailability – the technology is much more effective at delivering a drug or product into the bloodstream.
• Increases brain absorption – animal testing suggests significant improvement in the quantity of drug delivered across the blood-brain barrier.
• Improves drug potency – more of the ingested product is made available to the body, so lower doses are required to achieve the desired effect.
• Reduces drug administration cost – lower doses mean lower overall drug costs.
• Masks unwanted taste – the technology eliminates or reduces the need for sweeteners.

Lexaria has demonstrated in animal studies a propensity for DehydraTECH technology to elevate the quantity of drug delivered across the blood-brain barrier by as much as 1,900 percent, initiating additional new patent applications and opening possibilities for improved drug delivery.

Since 2016, DehydraTECH has repeatedly demonstrated, with cannabinoids and nicotine, the ability to increase bio-absorption by up to five to 10 times, reduce time of onset from one to two hours to just minutes, and mask unwanted tastes. The technology is to be further evaluated for additional orally administered bioactive molecules, including antivirals, cannabinoids, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and nicotine.

Market Outlook

Lexaria’s ongoing research and development efforts are mainly focused on development of product candidates across several key segments:

• Oral Cannabinoids – a market estimated to be worth $18.4 billion in 2021 and expected to reach $46.2 billion by 2025.
• Antivirals – an estimated $52.1 billion market in 2021 that’s expected to grow to $66.7 billion by 2025.
• Oral Mucosal Nicotine – smokeless tobacco products, a $13.6 billion market in 2018, is forecast to grow at 7.2 percent annually through 2025.
• Human Hormones – estrogen and testosterone replacement therapies represented a $21.9 billion market in 2019, with a forecast CAGR of 7.7 percent through 2027.
• Ibuprofen and Naproxen – NSAID sales totaled $15.6 billion globally in 2019 and are projected to reach $24.4 billion by 2027.
• Vitamin D3 – the global market size was $1.1 billion in 2021, growing at 7 percent per year and expected to reach $1.7 billion in 2026.

Management Team

Chris Bunka is Chairman and CEO of Lexaria Bioscience Corp. He is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in several private and public companies since the late 1980s. He has extensive experience in the capital markets, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate finance. He is named as an inventor on multiple patent innovations.

John Docherty, M.Sc., is the President of Lexaria. He is a pharmacologist and toxicologist, and a specialist in the development of drug delivery technologies. He is the former president and COO of Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: HBP). He is named as an inventor on multiple issued and pending patents.

Greg Downey is Lexaria’s CFO. He has more than 35 years of diverse financial experience in the mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, and construction industries, and in the public sector. He served for eight years as CFO for several public companies and has provided business advisory and financial accounting services to many large organizations.

Gregg Smith is a strategic advisor to Lexaria. He is a founder and private investor with Evolution VC Partners. He is a member of the Sand Hill Angels and held previous investment banking roles with Cowen and Company and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Dr. Philip Ainslie serves as a scientific and medical advisor to Lexaria. He is co-director for the Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, Canada. He is also Research Chair in Cerebrovascular Physiology and Professor at the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development at the University of British Columbia.

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (LEXX), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.775, off by 1.9112%, on 309,259 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 304,597 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.705/$3.60.

Recent News

• Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) - InvestorNewsBreaks - Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) Announces Results of 2023 Annual Meeting
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) Releases Pricing on Current Public Offering
• Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) Announces Four New Patents Added to the Company's Growing Patent Portfolio

Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF).

Reflex (CSE:RFLX) (OTC: RFLXF) (FWB: HF2) today announced results of preliminary metallurgical findings for its natural vein graphite at its Ruby Graphite deposit located in southwest Montana. Initial testing conducted by American Energy Technologies Company ("AETC") enabled measuring of the specific surface area, which had values of less than 5 m 2 /g, indicative of graphite material with very low porosity, a prerequisite of high-density graphite. "We are very pleased that graphite material was left on the Ruby property from original mining operations in the 1940s, enabling us to evaluate the material using modern metallurgical techniques," said Paul Gorman, CEO of Reflex Advanced Materials. "From the initial metallurgical data provided from ATEC, the Ruby Graphite vein-bearing material appears to possess the high-density properties we were hoping for."

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/rLTUh

Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF) is a strategic minerals company focused on locating and developing economic properties in the strategic metals and advanced materials space. The company aims to improve domestic specialty mineral infrastructure efficiencies to meet surging national demand from North American manufacturers, effectively positioning itself as one of the only North American suppliers of high purity natural graphite for hi-tech applications.

Reflex Advanced Materials is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its project portfolio includes the Ruby Graphite Deposit in Montana and the ZigZag Lithium Property in Ontario.

Projects

Ruby Graphite Project

Located in a mining-friendly jurisdiction in southwest Montana, the Ruby Graphite Deposit is a low cost, rapid re-entry opportunity that produced roughly 2,400 tons of graphite from 1902 to 1948. Reflex Advanced Materials holds mining rights for 755 hectares at the Ruby Graphite Project, with 96 federal lode mining claims. Recent samples assay at 95.8% to 98.4% total carbon.

The site is notable as the only combined U.S. graphite flake and vein graphite source. Vein graphite is ideal for energy storage applications, because it requires fewer steps to achieve purity than synthetic alternatives and is therefore far less environmentally damaging. This is expected to play a key role in the project’s development as demand for electric vehicles continues to surge.

In March 2023, the company announced its submittal of permit applications to the Bureau of Land Management in respect of its exploration of the Ruby Graphite Project. Its initial drill program, expected to take place in the summer of 2023, includes plans for 3,500 total meters of drilling, cored to an average depth of 130 meters. The targets for this drill program have been identified using historical data from original mine operations and data gathered for the initial 43-101 technical report on the project, dated January 31, 2023.

ZigZag Lithium Property

Located in the Thunder Bay Mining Division of Ontario, the ZigZag Lithium Property consists of eight mining claims spanning roughly 2,710 hectares. Mineralization at the property, most notably lithium, is based in pegmatite dikes and concentrated in spodumene crystals, which are consistent throughout the entire unit.

Spodumene is readily observable in outcrops and in drill cores, with crystal sizes ranging from 3-15cm, on average.

Reflex Advanced Materials and American Energy Technologies Company Metallurgical Partnership

Reflex Advanced Materials has entered into a material processing agreement with American Energy Technologies Co., which is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, to conduct metallurgical testwork with the goal of creating a technical support data package for Reflex’s target customer base, U.S. Federal agencies and qualification programs with hi-tech customers in the battery and battery storage business.

The resulting coated, spherionized, purified graphite (CSPG) material that is expected to be created from the aforementioned tests will be used to provide potential customers of CSPG with samples so that they can begin the material qualification process.

Market Opportunity

Graphite is an ideal battery anode and has dominated the market since the proliferation of lithium-ion batteries. Despite this demand, there is currently no significant production of lithium-ion battery anode material in North America.

Instead, most graphite sold in North America today is sourced from Chinese producers. U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted this sourcing disparity in a 2022 address:

“The United Stated depends on unreliable foreign sources for many of the strategic and critical materials necessary for the clean energy transition – such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and manganese for large-capacity batteries,” he said. “Demand for such materials is projected to increase exponentially as the world transitions to a clean energy economy.”

The U.S. Department of Energy is in the process of awarding $2.8 billion to expand domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and combat this foreign dependency. Reflex Advanced Materials has identified its Ruby Graphite Project as a prime candidate for U.S.-sponsored initiatives due to the rarity and scarcity of natural graphite deposits in the country.

Processing graphite domestically in the U.S. is expected to provide Reflex Advanced Materials a competitive advantage as manufacturers begin to seek out American supply in the face of increased diplomatic tension. This is critical, as a rise in anode demand is expected to fuel a shortage of 8 million tonnes of graphite by 2040. World Bank Group projects 494% growth in total graphite demand by 2050.

Leadership Team

Paul Gorman is the CEO and a Director of Reflex Advanced Materials. He brings to the company over 25 years of experience in junior mining finance, public listings, viability assessment and operational rationalization. For 18 years, Mr. Gorman served as president and managing partner of Riverbank Capital, where he played an instrumental role in raising more than $85 million for small-cap companies. In 2008, he funded Industrial Minerals Inc. (later Northern Graphite) and served in an advisory role for four other graphite companies, contributing significantly to the revitalization of the junior graphite space in North America. Mr. Gorman founded Mega Graphite Inc. in 2009 and has served as chief executive for three other companies.

Tasheel Jeerh, CPA, is the company’s CFO. He is a finance and accounting professional with over a decade of experience spanning both public and private sectors. Prior to joining Reflex Advanced Materials, Mr. Jeerh played a pivotal role in the growth of a private upstream oil and gas firm, dealing with over $2 billion in M&A activity and $1 billion in financing activities. He gained his designation at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he worked as a manager in the assurance practice.

Greg Bell is Project Manager for Reflex Advanced Materials. He is a multi-disciplined engineering management professional with more than 40 years of experience in the natural resources sector. Mr. Bell has successfully built and managed several start-up operations in various capacities. He has been active in graphite and lithium exploration for the past seven years.

Christopher W. Hill leads the company’s Corporate Development initiatives. He is an investor and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the capital markets. Mr. Hill began his career as an investment advisor and then began to consult and advise private companies on their paths to becoming publicly traded. He specializes in corporate development and strategic financing utilizing his large network in the capital markets.

Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (RFLXF), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.3876, off by 3.1%, on 62,320 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 62,320 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.25/$0.765.

Recent News

• Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF) - InvestorNewsBreaks - Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTC: RFLXF) (FWB: HF2) Confirms High Density Graphite Material at Ruby Project
• Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF) Seeks to Supply the North American EV Battery Supply Chain
• Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF) Aims to Meet Surging Graphite Demand Amid Global Electrification Push

IGC Pharma Inc. (NYSE American: IGC)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight IGC Pharma Inc. (NYSE American: IGC).

The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) revealed that on April 26, 2023, it had given 16 educational institutions funding totaling $19,942,918 for marijuana research. The funds will support projects researching how marijuana affects young people's psychological wellness, innovative cannabinoids such as Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC, and a groundbreaking study of California's historic cannabis genetics.

The DCC expects these activities will set the standard for marijuana research and enhance scientific study to better comprehend cannabis' advantages and drawbacks.

Six divisions of colleges received awards, with Cal Poly Humboldt receiving the largest award of $2,699,178 for its grassroots study on heritage cannabis genetics. Additionally, $2 million each were given to the universities of California, Los Angeles, and Irvine to research the potency of marijuana. The first double-blind, federally acceptable, placebo-controlled drug administration trial comparing the consequences of inhaled marijuana plants to inhaled extracts will also be carried out through a partnership involving UC Irvine and UCLA. These studies funded by the DCC in California will add to the work being done by companies such as IGC Pharma Inc. (NYSE American: IGC), which lean more toward conducting research with the aim of commercializing marijuana-derived FDA-approved formulations.

IGC Pharma Inc. (NYSE American: IGC), through subsidiary IGC Pharma, develops, patents, and markets advanced THC-based drug formulations for the treatment of symptoms related to various diseases including but not limited to Alzheimer’s disease, Tourette syndrome, chronic pain, and pet seizures.

IGC’s leading drug candidate, IGC-AD1, has completed Phase 1 of a safety and tolerability trial and entered Phase 2 trials for treating agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s dementia, the first study in humans of a natural tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) compound plus another molecule (www.clinicaltrials.gov). As of September 2022, the IGC trial is the only ongoing Phase 2 trial of a natural THC-based formulation on Alzheimer’s patients.

The company’s other drug candidate, TGR-63, is an enzyme inhibitor that has shown in preclinical trials the potential to reduce neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s cell lines. Both drug candidates have shown their ability to ameliorate beta amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s cell lines and improve memory in Alzheimer’s mouse models. Beta amyloid plaques are a key hallmark of Alzheimer’s and an important target of Alzheimer’s pharmaceutical drug development.

Neuro Psychiatric Symptoms (NPS) are not only debilitating for Alzheimer’s patients; they also place an immense emotional burden on their caregivers. Beyond reducing symptoms, IGC-AD1’s active molecules and TGR-63 have also shown promise in preclinical trials to reduce important hallmarks of Alzheimer’s including plaques and tangles, as well as improving the treatment of memory loss.

Over the past eight years, the IGC team has amassed a deep knowledge of cannabinoid science, including extraction, isolation, purification, and development. The company’s strategy is to leverage its unique end-to-end capabilities, platform, and expertise to develop a class-leading program and bring it to market quickly and cost efficiently to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

The company also has a family of cannabidiol (CBD)-based consumer products (www.Holief.com) such as pain relief creams, pain relief gels, purpose gummies, tinctures, and capsules targeting women’s wellness, with a particular focus on premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and dysmenorrhea (period cramps). In addition, the company targets individuals that need sleep-aids with its specially formulated low melatonin cannabinoid gummies.

IGC has also introduced a low-calorie CBD- and caffeine-infused energy beverage brand (www.SundaySeltzer.com) that is currently available for purchase. The company’s brands are founded on the belief that effective natural solutions should be affordable and accessible to everyone. As the demand for natural products targeting women’s wellness and energy drinks continue to grow, these products are seeing strong traction in the market.

The company operates three facilities – a large GMP (Good Manufacturing Production Standards) certified facility that includes extraction, distillation, and manufacturing, in Washington State; a GMP-211 (pharmaceutical) grade facility in Maryland; and a facility licensed for controlled substances including cannabis in Bogota, Colombia, with complete access to legal licensed cannabis where the company conducts its testing.

In addition, the company’s development under Magistral Formulations is approved by INVIMA (Colombia National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute) to treat neurological disorders, non-oncological chronic pain, and mental disorders.

IGC’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio comprises of eight patents that it controls and seven patent applications. The portfolio includes #11,446,276, a patent for extreme low dose THC treatment of Alzheimer’s that was granted in September 2022.

The company is headquartered in Potomac, Maryland.

IGC-AD1

IGC-AD1 is the company’s leading drug candidate for the treatment and relief of Alzheimer’s symptoms. A significant amount of research on Alzheimer’s cell lines has shown that the active agents in IGC-AD1 reduce plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. Further, micro-dosing of THC, as shown in cell lines, could increase the functioning of mitochondria and potentially promote the growth of new neural pathways (neurogenesis). The research shows that micro-dosing of THC affects the brain radically differently from the normal higher dosing of THC.

While there is a significant body of research showing that THC is neuro-toxic at normal levels of dosing, micro-dosing of THC has been shown to be non-toxic to neurons. With the results of these preclinical studies, the company developed an oral formulation, IGC-AD1. The company recently completed a safety and tolerability Phase 1 trial on Alzheimer’s patients and has initiated a Phase 2, multi-site, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the safety and efficacy of IGC-AD1 on agitation in participants with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease at sites in the U.S. and Canada. IGC expects the Phase 2 trial to take between 9 and 12 months to complete, barring unknown factors such as, for example, a resurgence of COVID and the enforcement of lockdowns and travel restrictions.

With further successful trials and FDA approvals, IGC hopes to bring a drug based on natural THC as an effective treatment for agitation in Alzheimer’s to market.

TGR-63

The company’s other molecule, TGR-63, has been shown to reduce the neurotoxicity that impacts memory loss in preclinical trials with mice. On a dose dependent manner, transgenic Alzheimer’s mice treated with TGR-63 showed improvement in memory relative to control.

Both drug candidates, IGC-AD1 and TGR-63, have shown their ability to reduce the brain plaques associated with memory loss in Alzheimer’s in mice.

With further successful trials and FDA approvals, IGC hopes to bring TGR-63 as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease to market.

Market Opportunity

Alzheimer’s disease impacts over 55 million people worldwide and about 5.5 million individuals in the U.S. Over 70% of these patients face debilitating symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and agitation (Mendez, 2021). Agitation in dementia patients can include excessive physical movement and verbal activity, restlessness, pacing, belligerence, aggression, screaming, crying, and wandering.

In 2020, the estimated healthcare costs for Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. were $305 billion. Medicare and Medicaid covered about 70% of those costs, leaving considerable burden on patients and families. At the current rate of growth of Alzheimer’s and other dementia diagnoses, those costs are estimated to reach over $1 trillion by 2050.

Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications to alleviate the symptoms of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, providing a tremendous opportunity for formulations that can have an impact on quality of life and disease progression.

Management Team

Richard Prins has been chairman at IGC since 2012 and served as an independent director since 2007. From March 1996 to 2008, he was the Director of Investment Banking at Ferris, Baker Watts, Incorporated. Prins served in a consulting role to RBC until January 2009. He currently volunteers full time with a non-profit organization, Advancing Native Missions, and is a private investor. Since February 2003, he has been on the board of Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and an MBA from Oral Roberts University.

Ram Mukunda is CEO and President of IGC. He has been the chief inventor and architect of most of the company’s patent filings and is responsible for the company’s strategic positioning. Prior to IGC, he was founder and CEO of Startec Global Communications, which he took public in 1997. He served as Strategic Planning Advisor at Intelsat, a communications satellite services provider. From 2001 to 2003, he was a Council Member at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Belfer Center of Science and International Affairs. He was named the 1998 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He holds bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics, and a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Jagadeesh Rao is the company’s Principal Scientist. His career spans two decades in the public sector and product R&D for Johnson & Johnson. He leads IGC’s scientists in the development of pharmaceutical and OTC products. He worked for the federal National Institutes of Health, and for the National Institute on Drug Abuse. His Ph.D. in Neurochemistry is from the National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences in India. He did postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Claudia Grimaldi is a Director, Vice President, Principal Financial Officer, and Chief Compliance Officer for IGC. She also serves as a Director/Manager Director for some of the company’s subsidiaries. She graduated with highest honors from Javeriana University in Colombia with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She holds an MBA, graduating with highest honors, from Meredith College in North Carolina. In addition, she has attended the Darden School of Business Financial Management Executives program and the Corporate Governance Program at Columbia Business School. She is currently pursuing her Directorship Certification with the National Association of Corporate Directors. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.

IGC Pharma Inc. (NYSE American: IGC), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.35, even for the day, on 58,356 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 48,214 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.2785/$0.8432.

Recent News

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