The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER).

The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ: WTER) (CSE: WTER) was featured today in report from CBDWire explaining how WTER is "One to Watch." Also today, the company announced that its entire A88CBD(TM) product line, including topical and ingestible consumer offerings, will be available in 17 of CBD Emporium’s retail stores. WTER produces premium bottled alkaline water, flavor-infused waters, and CBD-infused products sold under the brand names Alkaline88(R), A88 Infused(TM) and A88CBD, respectively. To view the full press release, visit http://cnw.fm/aWdh1

Founded in 2012, The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER) is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Its flagship product, Alkaline88®, is a leading premier alkaline water brand available in bulk and single-serve sizes, along with eco-friendly aluminum packaging options. With its innovative, state-of-the-art proprietary electrolysis process, Alkaline88® delivers perfect 8.8 pH balanced alkaline drinking water with trace minerals and electrolytes and boasts the company’s trademarked label ‘Clean Beverage’. Quickly being recognized as a growing lifestyle brand, Alkaline88® launched A88 Infused™ in 2019 to meet consumer demand for flavor-infused products. A88 Infused™ flavored water is available in six unique all-natural flavors, with new flavors coming soon. Additionally, in 2020, the company launched the A88CBD™ brand, featuring a broad line of topical and ingestible products. These products are made with lab-tested full and broad-spectrum hemp and include salves, balms, lotions, essential oils, bath-salts, CBD infused drinks, tinctures, capsules, gummies and powder packs.

Innovation and Expansion

Founded in 2012, The Alkaline Water Company began with a mission to create the best-tasting water in the world. At the time, there were two emerging trends in health-conscious consumers: a growing interest in the alkaline diet and perceived health benefits of pink Himalayan rock salt. By combining these two concepts in an alkaline water and trademarking the name Alkaline88, The Alkaline Water Company began offering what it calls the smoothest tasting Clean Beverage™ in the U.S. enhanced-water category.

Now a top bulk alkaline-water brand (the company reported record sales in March and April 2020, surpassing March and April 2019 numbers by 114% and 171%, respectively), The Alkaline Water Company is committed to growing its national footprint through innovation and expansion. That mindset was evident as the company introduced eco-friendly aluminum bottles and branched out into flavor-infused waters; the company currently offers six different flavors: peach/mango, lemon/lime, raspberry, watermelon, blood orange and lemon.

The company’s commitment to innovation may be most evident in its newest product line: A88CBD. This line of CBD-infused products includes tinctures, capsules, gummies, salves, balms, hand and foot lotions, essential oils, bath bombs and bath salts, as well as CBD-infused drinks, water and beverage shots. These quality, CBD-infused offerings are all made with lab-tested, full-spectrum hemp and are conveniently packaged and perfect for on-the-go or at home use.

In addition, The Alkaline Water Company has implemented an aggressive growth strategy, with numerous organic initiatives focused on national multichannel, mass-market expansion through a direct-to-warehouse model and co-packing facilities that are strategically located within 600 miles of 95% of the U.S. population. In addition to this strong brick-and-mortar approach, the company recently launched a B2C e-commerce platform (www.A88CBD.com) and aggressive digital-marketing campaigns.

Clear Advantages in a Growing Market

With consistent growth year over year, the company reported $32.2 million in revenue in fiscal 2019 and has emerged as a growth leader in the functional (value-added) waters space, which is the fastest-growing segment of the bottled water industry.

The Alkaline Water Company’s efforts are focused on its clear competitive advantages, including its strong marketing (the inclusion of alkaline in product names); existing grocery channels, which feature excellent relationships and a nationwide broker network; distinctive branding; proprietary technology, which produces great-tasting, high-quality water, infused drinks and other products; and price, with a broad range of products in all formats, from bulk bottles to single serve.

As the company focuses on strategic growth, it is eyeing the impressive potential of a market that is on a strong upswing. Annual bottled water sales have now surpassed soda consumption, with soda sales in the United States having declined by $1.2 billion over the past five years. Some research indicates that the global bottled water market will reach an estimated $280 billion this year, while the CBD market is forecast to top $20 billion by 2024.

With its products available in all major trade channels, including grocery stores, drug stores, c-stores and big-box retailers, The Alkaline Water Company is also looking to expand into new spaces, such as health and beauty, hospitality and specialty retailer locations.

Seasoned Management Team

The Alkaline Water Company is led by an experienced team focused on the company’s core strategy of building a national retail footprint and extending its lifestyle brands into other consumer packaged goods categories.

Richard A. Wright, President, CEO and Co-Founder of The Alkaline Water Company Inc., oversees all aspects of the business, successfully guiding the company through strategic opportunities and delivering greater than 50% growth since the company’s inception. A passionate and versatile leader with a strong track record of innovation, collaboration and achieving goal-driven results, Wright is a serial entrepreneur with more than 41 years of experience. Early in his career, he spent years at one of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms, working his way up to Regional Director of Tax and Financial Planning. As a CPA, entrepreneur and former CFO, Wright brings extensive knowledge of finance, operations, sales and marketing to the team, and he has participated in hundreds of M&A transactions throughout his career.

David Guarino, CFO, Secretary, Treasurer and Director, earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Denver. From 2008 to 2013, Guarino was President and a Director of Kahala Corp., a worldwide franchisor of multiple quick-service restaurant brands with locations in 49 states and more than 25 countries. From 2014 to 2015, Guarino was President of HTI International Holdings Inc., a technology company focused on forward osmosis water filtration technology.

Frank Chessman, National Sales Manager, is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. He spent 25 years with Ralph’s Grocery, Kroger’s largest division, working at many levels before ultimately becoming Vice President of Advertising & Marketing. He then served 14 years as Executive Vice President at Simon Marketing. Chessman has more than a decade of experience in the beverage manufacturing industry.

Brian Sudano, Director, is managing partner of Beverage Marketing Corporation and BMC Strategic Associates. Sudano’s experience covers nearly the entire beverage industry, from energy drinks to wine, with special expertise in beverage alcohol by virtue of varied industry experience across a broad range of projects. Sudano manages several major clients, providing ongoing strategic and market advice and leading projects in strategic planning, market entry analysis and planning, sales/distribution, business modeling, brand repositioning and international opportunity assessment. He has spoken at many beverage industry events and is a contributing editor at Beverage World magazine.

Aaron Keay, Chairman, has been a successful investor, entrepreneur and financier to multiple small cap and startup companies over the last decade. During his time with these companies, he served in advisor, board-member and senior-management roles. His experience ranges across multiple sectors in mining, biotech, health and wellness, tech and cannabis, where he has invested and raised more than $500 million.

The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ: WTER), closed Thursday's trading session at $2.13, up 3.3981%, on 1,091,156 volume with 3,067 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 1,442,279 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.400000005/$2.79999995.

Recent News

• The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER) is "One to Watch"
• The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ: WTER) (CSE: WTER) Partners with CBD Emporium, Inks Largest Order to Date
• The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER) Announces Virtual Participation in the ECRM Beverage Program

PowerBand Solutions Inc. (TSXV: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (Frankfurt: 1ZVA)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight PowerBand Solutions Inc. (TSXV: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (Frankfurt: 1ZVA).

PowerBand Solutions (TSX.V: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (Frankfurt: 1ZVA), today announced the results of voting at its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held in Burlington, Ontario, Canada on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. According to the update, shareholders voted in favor of all items put forward by the Board of Directors and management. In addition, PowerBand announced that, as a term of the July 19, 2019 unit purchase agreement to acquire a 60% interest of MUSA Holdings, LLC, it has issued 900,000 common shares of PBX to MUSA Companies, LLC on the one-year anniversary of the acquisition. To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/ERk8Q

A Better Way to Connect and Acquire Vehicles

PowerBand’s mission is to create an online, consumer-directed marketplace that streamlines the interactions among all participants in the automotive industry. It transforms today’s antiquated business model with speed, transparency, access to information and ease of use for consumers and dealers.

Consumers can easily connect with new sources to buy vehicles, network with motivated buyers and sellers, maximize their trade-in values, improve their customer experience. PowerBand’s standardized system and transaction process also increase efficiencies and benefits with hands-on, process-driven, in-store training and support.

Through internal development, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, PowerBand is developing solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers, commercial customers and lenders that are poised to transform the trillion-dollar U.S. automotive industry.

The PowerBand Auto Platform

PowerBand’s transaction platform was developed by a team of experienced automotive, technology and finance experts, and has been refined through years of operational experience. Built on the core belief that the consumer prefers to primarily conduct automotive transactions online and avoid interactions with unnecessary middlemen, PowerBand’s product solutions include:

• Leasing: PowerBand is currently licensed in 33 U.S. states via a majority interest in MUSA Auto Finance LLC, an advanced online leasing technology platform that has transformed the new and used vehicle leasing industry. A partnership with Tesla was recently finalized, making MUSA the only approved, non-captive lease partner for Tesla in the U.S.
• Inventory and Financing: A partnership with RouteOne LLC, a leading financial platform founded in 2002 by Ally Financial, Ford Motor Credit Co., TD Auto Finance and Toyota Financial Services, allows access to a network of more than 18,000 dealerships and 1,400 financing sources.
• Auction Platform: PowerBand and its joint-venture partner, D2D Auto Auctions, are developing a direct consumer-to-dealer and a consumer-to-consumer automotive portal, which will provide an innovative alternative to physical dealership and auction locations.
• LiveNet Auction: An online platform portal that allows dealers to create instant live vehicle auctions to a vast network of the industry’s top used vehicle buyers.
• MarketPlace Auction: An online listing auction site for buying and selling automotive inventory – ideal for dealers, fleet, OEM and rental companies.
• Used Vehicle Inspections: An LOI agreement with TÜV NORD Mobility Inc., a German-based global leader in vehicle inspections operating in more than 70 countries, will provide the most comprehensive, certified vehicle inspection reports available in North America. Appointments booked within the platform can be performed nearly anywhere.
• Product Development: PowerBand’s comprehensive consumer solution, Driveaway, will be a fully transactional consumer marketplace where dealers and consumers can buy, sell, trade-in and finance vehicles, often in seconds, from the comfort of their home.

Automotive’s Growing Markets

The automotive dealership and commercial fleet vehicle auction industry is a $100-billion sector with more than 40 million used vehicles transacted in the U.S. each year. Of those, ten million are sold through auctions. From 2013 to 2017, the growth of online-only auctions far outpaced physical auctions, growing at a 33% compound annual growth rate compared to 2% CAGR at physical auctions.

Automotive leasing is another large, growing and fragmented market, generating approximately $120-billion in annual revenue. As a percentage of vehicle sales, leasing reached 30% in 2018, up from 21% in 2012, and is seen as a substantial opportunity for PowerBand and MUSA Auto Finance. Using proprietary technology and by focusing on high-quality, credit-worthy customers, MUSA grew its automotive lease originations to $182 million.

Disrupting Auto Leasing with MUSA

Legacy solutions are complicated, expensive and slow at processing leases. MUSA’s first-of-its-kind technology platform eliminates third-party decisions and the human capital required in the underwriting process. MUSA’s platform navigates the entire customer experience – underwriting, funding and the delivery process – within minutes. Leases can be approved in seconds.

PowerBand’s acquisition of MUSA brings together two leading-edge companies with the vision to become a one-stop platform for the entire vehicle purchase lifecycle.

Experienced Leadership

PowerBand is led by a collection of automotive veterans with a passion to collectively and positively impact the industry.

• Kelly Jennings, president and CEO, is the founder of PowerBand Solutions and a franchise dealer owner/operator with more than 27 years of automotive experience. Jennings received General Motor’s Triple Crown Award, Ford Motor Company President’s Award and Honda Canada’s Excellence Award.
• Darrin Swenson, COO of PowerBand and D2D Auto Auctions/Hunt Automotive Group, has more than 25 years of automotive/auction experience.
• Jeff Morgan, CEO MUSA, holds over 25 years of experience in the auto finance sector.

PowerBand Solutions Inc. (OTCQB: PWWBF), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.175, up 0.632547%, on 35,009 volume with 4 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 94,102 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.038600001/$0.241600006.

Recent News

• PowerBand Solutions Inc. (TSX.V: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (Frankfurt: 1ZVA) Announces Annual General Meeting Results
• PowerBand Solutions Inc.'s (TSX.V: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (FRA: 1ZVA) Announces Expanded Referral Network for Digital Transaction Platform
• PowerBand Solutions Inc. (TSX.V: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (FRA: 1ZVA) Makes Vehicle Purchase and Sale Possible with Only a Few Clicks or Swipes on a Smart Phone

Sugarmade, Inc. (SGMD)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Sugarmade, Inc. (SGMD).

Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD) was featured today in the 420 with CNW by CannabisNewsWire. The cannabis space is one of the most exciting industries at the moment. At least 30 states have legalized cannabis, with several more considering legalizing it in the near future. Valued at $13.6 billion in 2019, the industry is projected to reach. $73.6 billion by 2027. These crazy numbers have attracted entrepreneurs and investors looking to cash in on cannabis’ popularity in droves. The fact that most states that allow cannabis declared it essential at the start of the pandemic made the industry even more attractive to entrepreneurs.

Sugarmade, Inc. (SGMD) is headquartered in Monrovia, California, where the company recognizes new opportunities in the cannabis delivery space and in the market for supplies to the quick-service restaurant industry – both of which have fast-changing dynamics due to the recent outbreak of coronavirus in the United States.

The Coronavirus Cannabis Boom Market

Retailers across the nation are closing their doors and curtailing operations due to the coronavirus pandemic, inherently pinching sales. In the California cannabis sector, however, business has never been better – especially relative to home delivery.

California’s cannabis industry continues to operate, and media reports reveal booming cannabis sales as the state’s citizens stay home to wait out current events. The Los Angeles Times recently published the headline, “Marijuana Sales on Fire amid Virus Outbreak; New York Post “Cannabis sales hit new highs”; USA Today “American Stock Up on Pot” Fox News “California marijuana sales surge”; and ABC News Cannabis Shops thrive in coronavirus pandemic.

The state of California benefits from the ultra-high taxes paid by the highly regulated cannabis industry, and has thus deemed cannabis companies as “essential” businesses, allowing for full operations to continue. While pot shops are seeing strong foot traffic, the real growth action is in-home delivery as consumers seek to embrace social distancing. Many delivery operators are reporting difficulty in meeting demand with sales growth of up to 10% sequentially each week. It is certainly a boom time for the industry.

Sugarmade Growth Strategy

Recognizing new investment and operational opportunities within California’s cannabis market, Sugarmade is strategizing to take advantage of opportunity specifically in delivery services (non-storefront retailer), manufacturing via co-branding, and selective genetic cultivation. The company is taking a highly selective approach, targeting only the best of these opportunities for company growth.

In line with this strategy is northern California delivery service Budcars, in which Sugarmade owns a 40% interest and an option to gain a controlling interest. Budcars connects consumers with premium products sourced from top-tier farms and extractors, offering a curated menu of fully compliant cannabis products. The company maintains a competitive advantage by sourcing premium cannabis offerings and same-day delivery. In addition to maintaining its own cars, California licenses, and fulfillment center, Budcar orders its premium products in bulk at lower prices, enabling the company to rein in costs and maintain competitive pricing for its customers. Currently serving major communities within the metropolitan area of Sacramento, Budcars plans to continue the expansion of the company’s delivery reach.

Sugarmade plans to continue its expansion into burgeoning new sectors of the cannabis market through the following avenues:

• Geographic expansion of Budcars delivery scope
• New delivery geographies
• Cannabis cultivation as a key component of a hybrid vertical integration strategy
• Product technology expansion—including products containing exotic and lesser-known cannabinoids

Diversified Portfolio

Sugarmade has positive market exposure to cannabis delivery, as well as to the restaurant industry, at a time when these businesses are being force to move toward take-out and delivery models in order to survive.

The company has various business operations in diverse marketplaces, including food, safe packaging and sanitary supplies for various industries, and agricultural supplies. Sugarmade entered the industrial hemp and CBD space by investing in Hempistry, Inc., a privately held Nevada corporation. Hempistry began planting an ultra-high cannabidiol (CBD) industrial hemp strain on a land option it holds on 5,000 acres of prime Kentucky farmland. The strain of industrial hemp being grown by Hempistry is ultra-rich in CBD but contains less than 0.3% of THC, the psychoactive ingredient found in cannabis.

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

Market Opportunity

There is little doubt among industry participants, and recently confirmed by Forbes, that California is the single largest cannabis market in the world. The state is expected to produce more than $3.5 billion in cannabis sales during 2020, with growth topping 23% annually. The global industrial hemp market size was estimated at $4.71 billion in 2019 and is expected to register a revenue-based CAGR of 15.8% over the forecast period of 2016-2027, according to Grandview Research. Market growth drivers include the 2018 Farm Bill and society’s increasing knowledge of the benefits of hemp products.

Overall industry growth is great, but specific vertical sector growth is even better. Cannabis delivery is clearly the fastest growing sector of the marketplace and with coronavirus fears the already robust growth rate has accelerated.

Sugarmade seems to be in the right industry at the right time in history.

Management

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

Dedicated to getting the highest caliber of THC and CBD to its customers’ door, the company’s priority is to ensure that they receive the highest quality cannabis product free from logistical hassles. Sugarmade specializes in growing and acquiring innovative brands to maximize value for company employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. Sugarmade believes its future is very bright as the company expands operations within the cultivation sector and rapidly increases its revenue base.

Sugarmade, Inc. (SGMD), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.00255, up 2.00%, on 32,965,396 volume with 260 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 66,133,988 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.001599999/$0.021999999.

Recent News

• 420 with CNW - What Potential Marijuana Entrepreneurs Need to Know
• 420 with CNW - Congress Could Vote on Marijuana Legalization in September
• 420 with CNW - Activists Put Pressure on Mexican Lawmakers to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Net Element (NETE).

Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE), a global technology group that operates electronic payment services, is currently in the planning stages to open a new electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturing facility in conjunction with privately-owned Mullen Technologies (“Mullen”) via a proposed merger. With demand for electric vehicles growing globally, oil demand is expected to plummet by 13.7 million barrels a day, according to recent research by Bloomberg (http://ibn.fm/LBVZx), positioning the new company favorably as a leader in the electric vehicle industry both in the U.S. and abroad. Also today, the company was featured today in a publication from Green Car Stocks, examining how, when electric vehicle (“EV”) batteries are benched for new ones, they usually aren’t dead. A standard electric vehicle lithium-ion battery is typically replaced when it loses around 20% of its capacity, meaning there’s still plenty of juice left in it to run stationary applications. Consequently, several firms have been playing with the idea of reusing these batteries, especially as we become increasingly aware of the dangers of greenhouse emissions.

On June 15, 2020, Net Element announced its entry into a binding letter of intent to merge with privately-held Mullen Technologies Inc., a Southern California-based electric vehicle company, in a stock-for-stock reverse merger in which Mullen’s stockholders will receive the majority of the outstanding stock in the post-merger company. The proposed merger is currently pending the execution of a definitive agreement, shareholder vote and regulatory approval.

Net Element Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) is a global financial technology and value-added solutions group that supports electronic payments acceptance in an omni-channel environment spanning across point-of-sale, e-commerce and mobile devices. The company operates a payments-as-a-service transactional model and value-added services platform for small to medium enterprises in the U.S. and selected emerging markets.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Net Element is ranked on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™ list of North America’s 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in both 2017 and 2018, during which the company grew 190 percent and 183 percent, respectively. The company credits its progression to organic growth in its North America Transactions Segment, specifically the success of its Unified Payments brand, which focuses on value-added payment acceptance solutions for small to medium enterprises in the United States.

Net Element was also listed among South Florida Business Journal’s 2016 fastest growing technology companies.

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

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

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

Net Element (NETE), closed Thursday's trading session at $15.76, off by 0.126743%, on 218,290 volume with 1,536 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 1,627,780 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.472/$19.25.

Recent News

• Net Element Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) Proposed Merger with Mullen Technologies Expected to Accelerate Development of Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Facility
• Firms Are Giving Serious Thought to Reusing Old Batteries
• Pending Merger of Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) and Mullen Technologies Featured in The Spokesman Review

DarioHealth Corp. (NASDAQ: DRIO)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight DarioHealth Corp. (DRIO).

DarioHealth (NASDAQ: DRIO) was featured today in a publication from BioMedWire, examining how, when the novel coronavirus began to create a surge of infections during the spring in the Northeastern states, some hospitals such as Mount Sinai in New York and Atrius Health in Boston turned to their “hospital at home” (“HaH”) programs to limit the risk of patient exposure to the virus and to keep hospital beds available for the most critically ill amid the growing health crisis (http://ibn.fm/aPjBk). Also today, the company was featured in another publication from BioMedWire, which looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic has created economic disruptions as a result of the shutdown orders given by the authorities. This has led many companies to start scaling back on their intellectual property (“IP”) expenses. However, the crisis has also created an opportunity for others to move ahead of the competition. It is so because most patent systems always reward the first investor for filing it.

New York and Israel-based DarioHealth Corp. (NASDAQ: DRIO) leads global digital therapeutics (DTx) with its popular, smartphone-centered personalized chronic illness management software-as-a-service (SaaS). The company’s strategic advantages include:

• AI-powered digital solutions that drive durable behavior change in chronic disease patients, and
• Personalized user experience at scale to make behavior change the path of least resistance.

Approximately $3 trillion in annual U.S. costs associated with chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and obesity are largely preventable with behavioral therapies. Formerly limited to periodic office visits, these therapies can now scale to millions with tech-enabled, continual and remote health monitoring, as well as AI-driven digital and live coaching. This is all possible while still maintaining the personalization required for success in reducing illness and its related effects and costs.

Roughly 51,000 active, paying users manage their health with Dario’s platform that combines smartphone-connected vitals measurement, remote patient monitoring (RPM), lifestyle management tools, and AI-driven and human coaching to deliver improved clinical outcomes.

Among the most downloaded medical apps, the Dario platform is rated at 4.9 stars on the Apple App Store and features 11,000 reviews, along with a Net Promoter Score (a measurement of consumers’ willingness to recommend the product to others) that’s the highest in its field.

Company Strategy

Clinical studies demonstrate Dario’s direct improvement on users’ health measures like H1AC scores (diabetes) and blood pressure (hypertension).

Patient engagement in therapies leads to health success. Dario’s platform centers on continual maximization of patient engagement through personalization, including ‘nudges’ and live, AI-generated responses to health measures provided by Dario’s smartphone-connected medical devices.

Proprietary data analysis provides valuable insights that not only improve health care providers’ medical capabilities but, through artificial intelligence, encourage patients to take evidence-based and highly personalized preventative measures that reduce risk, emergency room visits and preventable hospitalization.

Dario is now deploying its successful B2C platform in B2B2C, targeting employers and health plans with competitive advantages in cost, software and hardware.

The company estimates an annual addressable U.S. market of $72 billion, only 1% of which has been penetrated with digital therapeutics.

The strategic transition to B2B2C (from exclusively B2B) is intended to accelerate revenue growth by reducing Dario’s cost per acquisition per user and expanding margins.

Dario’s commitment to aggressive growth is also shown by its appointment of a new president, chief medical officer and head of sales for North America, all from a highflyer behavioral health company.

Key growth drivers planned include expansion of the company’s paying B2C subscriber base; lateral expansion into other chronic conditions that overlap with its core diabetes populations, such as hypertension, obesity and depression; and increased B2B2C penetration.

Financial Highlights

The company plans to leverage a massive opportunity for growth, with a global addressable market for digital therapeutics of roughly $108 billion. In the U.S. alone, that number is estimated at $72 billion, and only about 1% of that market has been penetrated.

Dario’s strategic transition to an SaaS membership business model increased gross profit by 87% in Q1 2020, as compared to the prior year. Membership revenue increased from 27.1% to 46.7% in the same period. The company is seeing improved operating efficiencies as it shifts focus to the B2B2C business model, and it expects average revenue per user per month (ARPU), which was $6 and $25 in 2019 and 2020, respectively, to reach $70.

Value to Consumers and Businesses

Dario continually evaluates and optimizes the value and return its platform delivers to consumers and businesses.

Consumers seeking to understand how their everyday behavior impacts their personal health and chronic conditions benefit from actionable feedback on how to improve health and better collaborate with health care providers.

Businesses looking to increase employee satisfaction, loyalty and productivity with fewer health-related absences take advantage of Dario’s services for employers.

Health care providers improve patient compliance using the platform’s interactive services that allow for greater monitoring, which improve engagement with patients at the right times and with the right treatments.

Health plans can leverage DarioHealth’s solutions to improve patient outcomes and lower costs.

Recent Studies

The company recently presented the results of two new studies at the American Diabetes Association’s 80th Scientific Sessions, which showed sustained improvements in blood glucose levels and blood pressure among users of its digital therapeutic platform for chronic diseases. The results of these two studies demonstrate that the use of Dario’s therapeutic platform promotes behavioral modification, enhanced individual engagement and improved clinical outcomes.

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Agreements

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently approved RPM codes for Medicare patients, which enables physicians to bill for between-visit patient care.

This simplifies implementation of the company’s open and scalable AI-driven platform and further supports transition to the company’s high-margin, recurring SaaS model targeting B2B2C revenue channels.

Emergency COVID-19 FDA Guidelines Allow Self-Test Blood Glucose Meters

In an effort to preserve personal protective equipment (PPE) and reduce contact between health care providers and patients in hospital settings due to COVID-19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized that home-use blood glucose meters, including Dario’s smartphone-connected metering device, may be used by patients with diabetes who are hospitalized due to COVID-19 to check their own blood glucose levels and provide the readings to the health care personnel caring for them.

As a result, hospitals can now allow patients to self-test using their Dario blood glucose testing strips and smartphone-connected devices, or hospitals can issue patients Dario devices upon admission for COVID-19-related conditions.

Irregularities in blood glucose levels are suspected as a factor in the increased severity of potentially deadly COVID-19 complications. As such, a high priority is being placed on stabilization of patients’ blood glucose levels.

Awards and Recognition

DarioHealth’s Blood Glucose Monitoring System was voted as the ‘Best Glucometer for Data Management’ by Top Ten Reviews. Jeph Preece, senior editor at Top Ten Reviews, said, “The Dario app is the best data management system that I’ve seen. Compared to apps by popular brands, Dario’s system looks and feels like it’s years ahead of the curve.”

‘The Global Digital Health 100’, an annual award sponsored by the reputable Journal of Health, recognized DarioHealth as a leader among health technology companies demonstrating the greatest potential to change the way that health care is delivered.

DarioHealth Corp. (DRIO), closed Thursday's trading session at $8.07, off by 0.981595%, on 47,513 volume with 206 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 68,866 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $3.01999998/$12.6000003.

Recent News

• DarioHealth Corp. (NASDAQ: DRIO) Platform Meets Patients', Physicians' Remote Care Needs Amid Pandemic
• Tips for Safeguarding Intellectual Property Rights Affordably
• Risks of Not Filing Medical Device Patents Correctly

Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ: POAI)

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

Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ: POAI) has sold its first-ever commercial order of its novel ovarian cancer cell culture media for cancer cells collected from patient-derived samples (“PDx”) (http://ibn.fm/2xwl6). The sale, made through POAI’s subsidiary TumorGenesis working with distributor US Biological Corporation, marks a milestone for the knowledge-driven company, which is focused on applying artificial intelligence to personalized medicine and drug discovery. Also today, the company was featured in a publication from BioMedNewsBreaks, examining how POAI has completed a strategic move to accelerate commercialization of its proprietary artificial intelligence “AI”-driven drug discovery and development. To view the full article, visit: http://ibn.fm/5VAH1

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

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

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

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

Subsidiaries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Competitive Advantage

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

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

Leadership Team

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

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

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

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

Predictive Oncology (POAI), closed Thursday's trading session at $1.53, off by 3.1646%, on 789,549 volume with 1,796 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 1,202,722 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.25/$6.80000019.

Recent News

• Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: POAI) Subsidiary Announces First Commercial Sale of Unique Ovarian-Cancer-Cell Media
• Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: POAI) to Integrate Proprietary Database with CoRE to Drive Drug Discovery, Development
• What the Naked Mole Rat Can Teach Researchers About Cancer

The Movie Studio Inc. (OTC: MVES)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight The Movie Studio Inc. (OTC: MVES).

The Movie Studio (OTC: MVES), a first mover and disruptor of the fast-expanding video, advertiser and subscriber on demand (VOD, AVOD, SVOD) sector, announced that it has submitted an official application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for the purpose of protecting its name, brand, and logo, as well as the legal right and association of its intellectual property. To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/92ZPT

The Movie Studio Inc. (OTC: MVES) is a vertically integrated motion picture production company focused on acquiring, developing, producing and distributing independent motion picture content for worldwide consumption via subscription and advertiser video on demand (SVOD/AVOD), over the top (OTT) platforms, foreign sales and various media devices. The company is currently engaged in establishing its own OTT VOD platform to integrate both its own and aggregated feature film projects, television programming and other media intellectual properties. The Movie Studio is disrupting traditional media content delivery systems with its digital business model of motion picture distribution, and the company intends to create a direct server access platform of its content with geo-fractured territories for worldwide distribution.

The company has launched The Movie Studio App on Google Play and the App Store, enabling users to both view the company’s content and potentially become part of it. The app is in the completion stage, and The Movie Studio is conducting its final beta test of the app’s unique “audition submission” function, leveraging the company’s “Watch Our Movies, Be in Our Movies!” content platform and “Everyone’s a Star” campaign, which will be marketed via social media. Using the app, subscribers can upload a thumbnail photo of themselves along with a selfie video audition submission that showcases them reading character dialog. Audition submissions will then be reviewed by producers for possible participation of the auditionee in upcoming feature films.

The audition submission function provides the subscriber the ability to disrupt traditional motion picture casting and management, enabling access to participation in The Movie Studio’s independent motion picture and media content. At the same time, for the company this significantly reduces capital expenditures associated with those traditional media mechanisms. The Movie Studio’s unique business model capitalizes on the global demand for film content through the production and distribution of its own films while also providing opportunities for direct viewer involvement in its content.

The company operates using a growth-by-acquisition strategy that includes:

• Purchasing legacy film libraries.
• Upgrading acquired films to 4K resolution and remonetizing with “new” film content on popular VOD streaming platforms across the internet.
• Strategic partnerships and media content alignment with other OTT platforms and cross-collateralization of leverageable media assets for worldwide distribution.
• Producing micro-budget motion picture content with substantial production value utilizing new 4K technology and the company’s extensive legacy resources and unique production process, thereby significantly reducing capital expenditures while allowing for the potential of significant return on investment (ROI) with one successful production.
• Controlling its revenue streams through server-driven geo-fracturing global territories and its own OTT platform.

Currently, The Movie Studio is producing three upcoming feature films: “Cause and Effect,” “The Last Warhead” and “PEGASUS” — all with completed electronic press kits and pitch decks and fully produced motion picture-quality trailers ready for talent, distribution and financial integration.

The company has been successful in producing, casting and distributing its films on major SVOD platforms without recognizable stars, which reduces capital expenditures. However, The Movie Studio intends to integrate recognizable stars into the productions at value propositions either pre- or post-completion of the intellectual property.

Through successful beta testing, The Movie Studio has monetized film assets on the Amazon, tubi tv, Comcast and Showtime platforms.

The company’s proposed server-based model will provide licensing payment from global territories without third-party distribution fees, which have traditionally been as high as 35%.

Founded in 1961 and formerly known as Destination Television, Inc., the company changed its name to The Movie Studio, Inc. in November 2012. The Movie Studio is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Cord-Cutting Creates Opportunity for VOD Players

Consumers are no longer content waiting for their favorite programming to come on the air – they expect instant streaming access where and how they want it. This has led to increased “cord cutting,” with consumers severing ties with their traditional pay TV providers in favor of digital streaming services.

With the advent of smart TVs with app integration, consumers can now watch what they want to watch when they want to watch it, fracturing traditional cable bundling mechanisms.

With pay TV usage steadily declining – satellite and cable TV businesses in the United States lost approximately 6 million customers in 2019 alone – streaming platforms are poised to potentially replace traditional pay TV distribution models altogether. Approximately 12,000 U.S. consumers are cutting the cord every day.

As this shift in media delivery continues and as digital devices become more sophisticated and bandwidth increases, VOD platforms have the potential to scale significantly. The Hollywood “streaming wars” of recent years have created an environment in which smaller competitors, like The Movie Studio, are able to emerge as major brands.

The Movie Studio Inc. (OTC: MVES), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.0105, off by 12.50%, on 11,788 volume with 4 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 178,283 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.006099999/$0.064999997.

Recent News

• The Movie Studio Inc. (MVES) Submits Application for Registered Trademark, Protecting Company Brand and IP in 'Exploding' Universe
• The Movie Studio Inc. (MVES) Promotes Unique MovieSodes Feature, Paving Movie Watchers' Route to Film Stardom
• The Movie Studio, Inc. (MVES) Enters Advertising Channel Agreement with eStreamTV

Wrap Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: WRTC)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Wrap Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: WRTC).

Wrap Technologies, Inc. (the "Company" or "Wrap") (NASDAQ:WRTC), an innovator of modern policing solutions, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Marc Thomas as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective today. Thomas will succeed David Norris, who has served as the Company's Chief Executive Officer since December 2018, and who will retain his position as a director following the transition. Also today, the company reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020. "During the second quarter of 2020, our team adapted to an unconventional operating environment, successfully increasing awareness of the BolaWrap, driving sales, and positioning Wrap for accelerated growth," said David Norris, director of Wrap Technologies and former chief executive officer. "Financially, the quarter was highlighted by a substantial increase in our cash position to $35.4 million as we successfully closed a $12.4 million financing arrangement with a group of our existing investors and received an additional $9.2 million during Q2 from the exercise of warrants. Thanks to our team's flexibility, we also achieved record revenues of $833,000, and we exited the quarter with a $1.5 million backlog, which indicates that our sales channel remained robust despite the complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Subsequent to the quarter's end, we also strengthened our leadership team with the appointment of Marc Thomas as our CEO, whose expertise will be integral to the next phase of Wrap's evolution."

Wrap Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: WRTC) is an innovator of modern policing solutions. The company’s BolaWrap® product is a patented, hand-held remote restraint device that discharges an eight-foot bola style Kevlar® tether to restrain an individual at a range of 10-25 feet. Developed by award-winning inventor Elwood Norris, the company’s chief technology officer, the small-but-powerful BolaWrap assists law enforcement in safely and effectively controlling encounters, especially those involving an individual experiencing a mental crisis.

Non-Lethal Weapons Market Potential

The BolaWrap Remote Restraint device is an innovative police solution, designed to provide law enforcement with a unique mobile and humane restraint option that does not inflict pain and enables subjects to be detained from a distance without the use of force.

In 2015, the 10 cities with the largest police departments in the United States paid out a cumulative $248.7 million in settlements and court judgements in police misconduct cases, marking a 48% increase from the $168.3 million in 2010 (http://nnw.fm/ri0L9). The majority of these cases have centered around the improper use of force by law enforcement when subjugating individuals, with 25% of all fatal shootings by law enforcement in the United States reportedly involving mentally ill individuals who are often incapable of comprehending officer commands (http://nnw.fm/YVm8P). Moreover, the use of alternate devices has failed to produce the desired outcomes, with the use of tasers by police resulting in over 1,080 fatalities since 2000 (http://nnw.fm/2Nb1A).

This, in turn, has led to a greater demand for humane tools which are not reliant on pain compliance to subdue subjects. Since its IPO in December 2017, Wrap Technologies has enjoyed a spectacular rise in prominence. The company began field testing the BolaWrap product in July 2018, with the first international order received only a month later, in August 2018. By December 2018, the company had been uplisted to the Nasdaq Capital Market with over 1,000 shareholders – a significant increase from the 50 shareholders who had participated in the IPO just 12 months prior. Recently, the company has sought to increase its commerciality and product monetization, appointing Tom Smith, the founder of TASER International (now Axon, NASDAQ: AAXN), as its president in March 2019.

At present, over 140 police departments throughout the United States are actively carrying the BolaWrap, while over 1,700 police departments across the nation have reached out to the company to request BolaWrap demonstrations, training and quotes. BolaWrap has also been successfully marketed internationally and has been shipped to 19 countries thus far.

As of today, Wrap Technologies has built a network of 11 distributors across 45 states in the United States who are actively marketing the product to the over 900,000 active police officers in the country. In addition, the company now has a network of 15 international distributors based in 26 countries – with over 600 international requests received thus far for product demonstrations, training and quotes.

As a result and following the opening of its new 11,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Tempe, Arizona, in October 2019, Wrap Technologies announced a 352% year-on-year increase in revenues for 3Q2019 – a testament to the growing popularity of its mobile restraint device.

The company expects its growth to continue as adoption rates of the BolaWrap product increase throughout the United States and globally. According to a study by Stratistics MRC, the addressable global market for non-lethal weapons accounted for $6.32 billion in 2016 and is set to rise to $11.85 billion by 2023.

Product Received to Positive Acclaim

• “An innovation that is changing the world of policing.” – Chief Luther Reynolds, Charleston Police Department
• “Anytime you can have a more humane response to someone in crisis, it’s not only good for the department, it’s good for society.” – Redditt Hudson, Regional Field Director of the NAACP (http://nnw.fm/1STXm)
• “This is going to save lives.” – Chief Ed Hudak, Coral Gables Police Department
• “I see this as one of the great tools if you encounter someone with a mental health crisis.” – Chief Steven Casstevens, Buffalo Grove Police Department

Recently completed $12.4 million financing round

Wrap Technologies announced that it had successfully completed its capital raising round on June 4, 2020, raising $12.4 million through a primary share placement priced at $6.00/share. The net proceeds will be use to further scale engineering, fund product development and provide working capital to meet worldwide demand for BolaWrap products and accessories (http://nnw.fm/byLV7). The company also announced that its founder, Elwood Norris, had chosen to exercise 100,000 outstanding warrants to contribute $500,000 to the capital raising efforts. Following the financing round, Wrap Technologies reported over $30 million in cash on hand.

Management Team

Elwood G. “Woody” Norris, Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Elwood G. “Woody” Norris is an award-winning American inventor and serial entrepreneur and currently serves as chief technology officer for Wrap Technologies Inc. Norris founded and served as a director and president of Parametric Sound Corporation (now Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ:HEAR)) and also served as chief scientist at Turtle Beach. Norris previously founded LRAD Corporation (NASDAQ: LRAD) and, prior to retiring in 2010, was chairman of LRAD Corporation’s board of directors, serving as a technical advisor and product spokesperson. Norris has authored more than 80 U.S. patents, primarily in the fields of electrical and acoustical engineering, and has been a frequent speaker on innovation to corporations and government organizations. He is the inventor of Wrap Technologies’ patented and patent pending BolaWrap® technology.

Scot Cohen, Executive Chairman
Scot Cohen has more than 20 years of experience in institutional asset management, wealth management, and capital markets. Cohen founded and served as principal of the Iroquois Capital Opportunity Fund, a closed-end private equity fund which focused on investments in North American oil and gas. Cohen also co-founded Iroquois Capital, a New York-based hedge fund that managed approximately $300 million across its family of funds. Prior to Iroquois Capital, Cohen founded a merchant bank which actively participated in structured investments in public companies. Cohen is currently active on a number of public and private company boards and is involved with various charitable ventures.

David Norris, Chief Executive Officer
David Norris is an experienced executive who joined Wrap Technologies full-time in January 2018. From April 2014 to December 2017, he served in various executive roles, including president, at privately held loanDepot LLC as it rapidly expanded into the fifth largest mortgage lender in the U.S. loanDepot had 6,000 employees and generated $1 billion in revenue in 2017. Norris also served as CEO of Greenlight Financial, and president of LendingTree Loans. Norris’ career also includes executive and management roles at Toshiba America Information Systems and Qualcomm Personal. Earlier in his career, Norris served as a probation officer in San Diego for five years.

Tom Smith, President
Tom Smith co-founded TASER International (now Axon Enterprise Inc. (NASDAQ: AAXN)) (“TASER”) in 1993 and served as president of TASER until October 2006. He served as chairman of the board of directors of TASER from October 2006 until he retired to pursue entrepreneurial activities in February 2012. Amongst his most significant roles and responsibilities at TASER, Smith managed domestic and international sales, significantly expanding the sale and distribution of TASER’s products, including sales to more than 17,200 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in over 100 countries. In 2012, he founded Achilles Technology Solutions LLC, which, through subsidiary ATS Armor, developed a line of ballistic solutions for law enforcement and military applications. Smith holds a B.S. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Arizona and an M.B.A. from Northern Arizona University.

Jim Barnes, Chief Financial Officer
Jim Barnes has served as president of Sunrise Capital Inc., a private venture capital and financial and regulatory consulting firm, since 1984. Barnes was chief financial officer of Parametric Sound Corporation (now Turtle Beach Corporation), and also served as vice president administration at Turtle Beach Corporation. Since 1999, Barnes has been manager of Syzygy Licensing LLC, a private technology invention and licensing company he owns with Elwood Norris. Barnes previously practiced as a certified public accountant and management consultant with Ernst & Ernst and Touche Ross & Co., and as a principal in J. McDonald & Co. Ltd. in Phoenix, Arizona.

Wrap Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: WRTC), closed Thursday's trading session at $11.49, up 2.4064%, on 1,505,921 volume with 8,522 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 1,517,938 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $3.06999993/$14.3999996.

Recent News

• Wrap Technologies Appoints Marc Thomas as Chief Executive Officer
• Wrap Technologies Reports Second Quarter 2020 Results
• Home Security Systems Market Could Exceed $78 Billion By 2025

Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX)

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

Genprex, Inc. (“Genprex” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: GNPX), a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing potentially life-changing technologies for patients with cancer and diabetes, today announced that its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rodney Varner, has participated in a second-round live interview on the “Big Biz Show,” an emmy-award winning nationally syndicated TV and radio show. A replay of the interview is available for viewing on the Company’s website at https://bit.ly/2Esvq05. Also today, the company was featured in a publication examining how, every day, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to erode at the "norms" of scientific research. As the world observes the ongoing mission to understand, challenge and defeat the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we are seeing laboratory and clinical studies conducted at a revolutionary speed, generating data in volumes that are somewhat incomprehensible.

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

Research and Development

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

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

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

Clinical Trials

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

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

The Market

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

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

Senior Management

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

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

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

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

Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX), closed Thursday's trading session at $3.48, up 0.288184%, on 621,224 volume with 1,910 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 2,819,673 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.231000006/$7.0300002.

Recent News

• Genprex CEO Participates in a Second-Round Live Interview on the "Big Biz Show"
• Could the COVID19 Crisis Be Compromising Research Quality?
• 4 Considerations When Developing Mobile Health Devices

Cannabis Global, Inc. (OTC: MCTC)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Cannabis Global, Inc. (MCTC).

Cannabis Global (OTC: MCTC), a cannabinoid and hemp-extract, science-forward company developing infusion and delivery technologies, recently updated its shareholders regarding selected protocols for its planned animal study. MCTC will conduct research focused on determining if the administration of rare cannabinoid Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THC-V) promotes appetite suppression and/or weight loss in diet-induced obese mice. To view the full press release, visit http://cnw.fm/ZkQao

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

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

Cutting-Edge Technology

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

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

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

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

Patents

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

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

Collaborations

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

Leadership

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

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

Cannabis Global, Inc. (MCTC), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.27, up 2.6616%, on 47,174 volume with 26 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 92,243 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.05/$3.00.

Recent News

• Cannabis Global, Inc. (MCTC) Outlines Parameters for Upcoming Research Designed to Study Effectiveness of THC-V in Weight Loss
• Cannabis Global, Inc. (MCTC) Enters Estimated $10B Cannabis Market Through Strategic Agreement with Whisper Weed
• Cannabis Global, Inc. (MCTC) Announces Successful Application of Production Techniques to Another Rare Cannabinoid

iClick Interactive Asia Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: ICLK)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight iClick Interactive Asia Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: ICLK).

iClick Interactive Asia Group (NASDAQ: ICLK) recently presented a keynote speech on data-driven marketing in China at the Product Marketing Alliance's Product Marketing Festival in APAC. Held from July 29 to July 30, 2020, the event is the world's first and only online festival dedicated to product marketing in the Asia Pacific region. To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/7NTnP

iClick Interactive Asia Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: ICLK) is an independent online marketing and enterprise data solutions provider connecting worldwide marketers with audiences in China. Built on cutting-edge technologies, iClick’s proprietary platform possesses omni-channel marketing capabilities and fulfills various marketing objectives in a data-driven and automated manner, helping international and domestic marketers reach their target audiences. Headquartered in Hong Kong, iClick operates in 10 locations worldwide, including Asia and Europe.

iClick aims to become a fully integrated Enterprise and Marketing Cloud Platform in China, providing clients a full consumer-cycle solution. This is facilitated by two pillars’ growth strategy through two business segments: Marketing Solutions and Enterprise Solutions.

Marketing Solutions

Using data and AI-driven technology to help brands efficiently identify, target and acquire the right customers

As the leading programmatic marketing platform in China, iClick’s proprietary platform collects a wealth of data from multiple sources to precisely reach the right audience at the right moment, on the right channel and right device. Cross-screen search solutions capture critical micro-moments when users proactively search for what they need. This multi-dimensional approach to marketing allows iClick to effectively understand internet users and exponentially widen target audiences for its brand clients. Multiple monetization models available in the Marketing Solutions segment allow iClick to serve its clients in several ways, such as audience targeting.

Data-driven marketing is indispensable to marketers targeting specific audiences in China. More than 825 million internet users in China are anonymously profiled on iClick’s platform, which boasts cross-channel and cross-screen capabilities.

Enterprise Solutions

Enabling brands to efficiently manage their consumers through online and offline data integration and analysis, increase the repurchase rate, and enhance consumers’ loyalty

iClick’s Enterprise Solutions segment addresses enterprise needs in China, particularly focusing on “smart retail,” an expanding and innovating market involving the combination of online and offline consumers’ behavioral information. Enterprise Solutions support detailed profiling of customers, which facilitates data-driven business strategies, enhances business processes at various levels, and increases operational and marketing efficiency.

Enterprise Solutions leverages iClick’s proprietary platform that incorporates Artificial Intelligence (AI) to learn, build and store knowledge, enabling accurate predictions about consumer behavior that ultimately provide marketing solutions derived from the large amount of available data.

Through a strategic partnership with Tencent, iClick’s Enterprise Solutions presents strong recurring revenue streams with tremendous opportunities to upsell multi-national corporations (MNCs). Tencent’s proprietary API connection enables brands to build 360-degree consumer profiles based on the collection and integration of purchased behavioral information from online and offline touchpoints, including WeChat Mini Programs, WeChat Payment, WeChat Work and more.

As iClick continues to provide integrated marketing and smart retail solutions targeting Chinese consumers, the company believes Enterprise Solutions has strong long-term growth potential and will become a major gross margin contributor in the future.

Partnerships

In 2019, iClick established various agreements and partnerships with a number of leading southeast and northeast Asian companies for regional diversification and in 2020 is focused on continuing to develop additional partnerships and new business models globally. Many of the world’s top companies are leveraging iClick’s proprietary data platform to precisely identify and reach out to core target audience groups in China.

The company’s partnerships include:

• A tri-partnership with BTG WELINK, an online retail services arm of Beijing Tourism Group (“BTG”), and Tencent Holdings Ltd., China’s leading provider of internet value added services. As part of this partnership, iClick applies its upgraded solutions to build a private DSP (Demand Side Platform) system for BTG. Using Tencent’s big data advertising platform, iClick can assist BTG to develop precision marketing campaigns.
• An Advertising Agency Authorization Certificate from Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), under which iClick is designated the authorized agency for native advertising of Baidu’s news feed ads. Native advertising is a consumer-friendly, non-disruptive advertising format that has gained rapid popularity among advertisers in recent years. Native advertising and creative marketing content have become a more effective marketing method among the Chinese young consumers. In 2019, the native advertising sector was estimated to have an around 53.5% share of the online advertising revenue, according to Statista.
• A joint-venture partnership with VGI Global Media Plc (VGI.BKK), Thailand’s No. 1 online to offline (O2O) solutions provider across advertising, payment and logistics platforms, which enables brands in Southeast Asia to capture the multi-billion-dollar Chinese consumer market through a range of technology-driven marketing solutions.

Case Study: Armani Hotel Dubai

Dubai has been gearing up to welcome the growing wave of Chinese visitors. Chinese nationals are eligible for a 30-day visa-on-arrival into the UAE, which gives Chinese travelers tremendous convenience. In light of this, Armani Hotel Dubai set the objective to increase its sales in this market.

The challenge: What Aarmani Hotel Dubai lacked in executing this goal was insightful understanding of Chinese travelers in particular the demographics that were likely to be attracted to the hotel. Challenged by the huge differences in the business practice, unique culture and language barrier in running digital campaigns in China, Armani Hotel Dubai turned to iClick’s know-how and expertise to guide its campaign to success and meet its sales goal.

The solution: iClick tailored an optimal solution for the hotel to increase brand awareness and booking rate from China – which is the key market for the hotel – and successfully assisted Armani Hotel Dubai in reaching its target Chinese audiences by using China’s most popular mobile and internet sites, including WeChat and Weibo, to improve reach and booking potential.

The results: Due to iClick’s unrivaled technological and execution strengths, Armani Hotel Dubai’s ads were delivered in an omnichannel manner, raising brand awareness and garnering interest between Chinese consumers. Subsequently, Armani Hotel Dubai saw a surge in conversion rate.
During the campaign, the Armani Hotel Dubai brand was connected with 87% of Chinese mobile users.

Award-winning Provider

iClick, a Deloitte Technology Fast50, has received multiple industry awards from the international marketing community. The company is committed to helping clients access digital China with its omni-channel, data-driven marketing solutions that deliver uniquely sharpened marketing capabilities and outstanding advertising results.

Most recently, iClick subsidiary OptAim (Beijing) Information Technology Co., Ltd was recognized by Tencent Ads as a 2019 Gold Service Provider. Tencent Ads also named OptAim the winner of three major annual awards for the second half of 2019: “Outstanding Contribution of the Year,” “Best Technology & Data Application Award,” and “Best Branding Awards.”

In November 2019, company co-founder and CEO Sammy Hsieh was chosen as the winner of the “EY Entrepreneur of The Year China 2019 Award in Technology Category,” an award recognizing his entrepreneurial acumen, innovative spirit and strong leadership. As one of the world’s most prestigious business accolades, the “EY Entrepreneur of The Year” awards program honors those who accomplish success by combining ability with opportunity, and inspire others with great vision, leadership and outstanding achievement.

iClick won the Annual Influential Platform Award and the Innovation Golden Award in Marketing at the Creative Award 2019, as well as the Best Tourism Marketing Agency. The company was also the recipient of the “Best Brand and Performance Marketing Award” at the Performance Marketing Ecosystem Summit 2018 hosted by the Advertising & Marketing Service, a division of Tencent Holdings Limited.

The company in 2018 was also recognized as “Platinum Service Partner of Tencent Social Ads” at the Tencent Key Accounts Mid-Year Summit held in Beijing. The mobile division of iClick, Optaim, received the same award beginning in 2016. Optaim was also the “Best DSP Partner” and “Key Account Data Partner” of Tencent, making it the only player in China with such unique and deep level of cooperation with Tencent Social Ads.

Leadership

Sammy Wing Hong Hsieh, chairman of the board and co-founder, was CEO from 2009 to 2019. Prior to co-founding iClick, Hsieh held senior positions in several prominent technology companies. He was general manager for Asia Pacific at Efficient Frontier (now an Adobe company), a leading digital performance marketing company, and was director of Search Marketing at Yahoo Hong Kong from 2000-2008. Hsieh received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jian Tang, director, CEO and co-founder, has 20 years of experience in digital advertising and is well-known in China for his expertise in advertising technologies and big data. In 2012, he founded OptAim, which was acquired by iClick in 2015, and has served key research, engineering and management roles at Yahoo’s global research and development center. Tang received his doctorate in computer engineering from Tsinghua University and was named by Campaign Asia as one of the leaders in its Digital A-List in 2016.

Terence Chi Wai Li, chief financial officer, has 15 years of experience in financial management, investment and business operations. He has served in management roles and advisory capacities at several start-ups, in addition to financial management and fundraising roles. He previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, specializing in M&A due diligence and cross border tax and deal structuring projects. Li received an MBA from Oxford University’s Said Business School. He is a Fellow Member of ACCA, a Member of HKICPA, and a Chartered Financial Analyst.

iClick Interactive Asia Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: ICLK), closed Thursday's trading session at $6.55, off by 2.6746%, on 2,802,330 volume with 3,135 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 718,850 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $2.73000001/$7.03999996.

Recent News

• iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited (NASDAQ: ICLK) Shared Insight at First Online Festival Dedicated to Product Marketing in Asia Pacific Region
• iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited (NASDAQ: ICLK) to Present in Alliance Global Partners' Virtual Tech Talk
• iClick Interactive to Participate in Alliance Global Partners Virtual Event

Jerrick Media Holdings, Inc. (OTC: JMDA)

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

Jerrick Media Holdings (OTCQB: JMDA), a technology company and the parent company of Vocal, today announced that Mark Standish formally assumed the duties and responsibilities of chairman of Jerrick's Board of Directors, by its unanimous vote, at a recent meeting held following the Company's 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Mark Patterson and Laurie Weisberg also officially began their tenure as independent board directors. With these three new appointments now in effect, Jerrick has already begun benefiting from the board's network, collective experience and proven capacity to propel its revenue growth and align resources to successfully execute its strategic vision. To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/lO32D

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

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

Vocal

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

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

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

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

Vocal for Brands

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

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

Growth Strategy

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

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

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

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

History & Management

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

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

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

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

Jerrick Media Holdings, Inc. (JMDA), closed Thursday's trading session at $3.05, off by 1.6129%, on 3,920 volume with 8 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 5,286 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $2.15000009/$6.46999979.

Recent News

• Jerrick Media Holdings Inc. (JMDA) Appoints Mark Standish as Chairman of the Board
• Jerrick Media Holdings Inc. (JMDA) Details 'Simple Plan' for Capturing Target Market
• Jerrick Media Holdings Inc. (JMDA) Issues Insights, Information From Virtual 2020 Shareholder Meeting

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

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Petroteq Energy Inc. (PQEFF).

Petroteq Energy (TSX.V: PQE) (OTC: PQEFF), an integrated oil company focused on the development and implementation of its proprietary oil-extraction and remediation technologies, on Wednesday announced the receipt of an irrevocable subscription agreement from an arm’s length lender. According to the update, the agreement was for a $150,000 principal amount (including a 20% original ‎issue discount) convertible debenture and warrants exercisable for up to ‎3,033,980‎ common shares ‎of the company at $0.0412 per share for 12 months. The debenture will bear no interest and have a term of 12 months. To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/37lpD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Petroteq Energy Inc. (PQEFF), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.04, off by 2.439%, on 312,601 volume with 26 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 928,674 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.017999999/$0.337599992.

Recent News

• Petroteq Announces New Financing, Amendment to Securities and Shares for Debt
• Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTC: PQEFF) Announces Significant Investments
• Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTC: PQEFF) Issues Correction to Shares For Debt Details

ISW Holdings (ISWH)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight ISW Holdings (ISWH).

ISW Holdings (ISWH) (“ISW Holdings”) is a brand management portfolio company with diverse partnerships that focus on growing businesses in multiple sectors, including crypto mining, renewable energy, home health care for the chronically ill, wellness and restoration, and the adult beverage industry, as well as early-stage operations in supply chain and logistics management. ISW Holdings operates as the nexus between its partnerships and their essential services for end users.

Mission
The company’s core mission is to enhance these sectors by implementing innovative services and products ready to meet the demands of a changing world. To that end, ISW Holdings leverages its strategic expertise, resources, and innovative software to establish market-leading companies and partnerships, which ensure their success in their chosen industries. This enables the company to return maximum shareholder value with its focus always on its partnerships’ various sector volatility.

The Revolution
Positioned to create industry leaders, the company’s process entails strategic development and aggressive early growth of its partner brands to establish them as profitable and viable. ISW Holdings’ method is to nurture emerging partner brands through the essential stages of market development (from conceptualization to distribution) in sectors relevant to today’s marketplace. In addition, the company has a holistic approach to business development, with every strategy being delivered person-to-person from developers to end users.

The Challenge
The company’s goal is to turn its target audience into loyal consumers by ensuring transparency and a clear understanding of its products and services, thus creating visibility, credibility, and trust.

ISW Holdings’ Innovative Approach
ISW Holdings has diversified positions in its partnerships across technology, health care, wellness, renewable energy, and the adult beverage sectors. The company seek to provide industry leading modern solutions to its clients and sound business practices to its partners. This is accomplished through an early growth platform that cultivates its partnerships with the necessary resources and expertise to expand exponentially.

ISW Holdings’ Opportunity
The company’s opportunity is considerable. In the ever-changing high demand global marketplace, the need for timely innovation is critical. ISW Holdings’ portfolio brand management and creative thinking has allowed the company to develop and deploy enterprises that meet the needs of 21st century consumers. Through a fully vetted system of scalability, it is able to meet consumer demands with turn-key solutions.

Portfolio of Partnerships and Businesses
ISW Holdings’ diverse portfolio reflects the growing demand for essential services in a dynamic modern operational landscape. With partnerships that incorporate a depth of experience and industry insight, ISW Holdings has established itself as a portfolio company in technology, home health care, and wellness, with a focus on reshaping industry benchmarks.

Bit5ive

ISW Holdings operates a joint venture with Bit5ive, a global leader in cryptocurrency mining. As an official distribution partner of Bitmain (the industry’s leading fabless manufacturer of computing chips and distributor of Antminers to more than 30 countries in Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean), Bit5ive is quickly becoming one of the largest U.S.-based companies in the cryptocurrency mining and bitcoin farm sectors of the market.
Valued at $293.66 million in 2019, the bitcoin technology market is expected to reach $477 million by 2025, according to Mordor Intelligence. The joint-venture agreement enables ISW Holdings to collaborate with the experienced team at Bit5ive to innovate the infrastructure needed to run profitable and efficient crypto mining projects.

Proceso, LLC

With a growing awareness of the importance of renewable energy worldwide, ISW Holdings has partnered with Proceso, LLC to create high-density processing and mobile data centers powered by renewable energy. These innovations will allow Proceso to offer lower-cost and diverse services to its clients, including hosting and colocation services to growing sectors such as the gaming industry and cryptocurrency mining – two fields with a typically high energy demand.

Because crypto mining companies mostly operate outside of the United States with higher asset security risks, Proceso will assist these entities in securing their investments by providing a local source of power and infrastructure development. This is aimed at helping to reduce power consumption while creating secure crypto mining data centers in the U.S. For the gaming industry, Proceso is ready to tackle one of its biggest problems, latency, by building next-level infrastructure in key locations.

PHH – Home Health

PHH Paradigm Home Health answers the growing need for homecare services in a world where health care delivery is changing and an increasingly large aging community is looking for efficient and effective ways of accessing health care. PHH aims to be at the forefront of this change by offering quality care services infused with new emerging technologies.

ISW Holdings’ home health division is currently developing a pilot for on-demand health care, which consists of a dedicated, stable platform for different medical services. The platform will offer greater freedom of choice and transparency by allowing users to find outpatient clinics in their vicinities, compare costs, and pick the most suitable choices. PHH is also developing specialized technology and tools to support health care services outside of the bounds of specialized facilities by focusing on homecare facilities. This can not only shift the burden from hospitals and clinics, but also streamline specific parts of the health care process to enhance service and product distribution.

VOLUM

ISW Holdings’ logistics and supply chain management division was designed with the core goal of increasing supply chain efficiency as one of the key aspects of successfully growing any business. The VOLUM project’s focus is on identifying and then implementing advanced supply chain management strategies and methods that will enable ISW Holdings’ partner companies to scale and grow exponentially. To achieve this goal, the company develops and offers reliable systems and solutions that create innovative technologies and unmanned system operations for overall higher cost-effectiveness.

In the wellness sector, ISW Holdings has opted for a two-pronged approach to create effective, technologically advanced products, as well as developing innovative ways to educate customers about these products. To this end, ISW Holdings has partnered with BioPulse to achieve state-of-the-art research and development and production capabilities, as well as a direct route to market. The company plans to design and launch up to five unique brands in the wellness and restoration sector in 2020.

ISW Holdings is committed to developing product and service innovation in the consumer spirits and adult beverage industry, which faces increasingly strict regulations but growing demand. The company has been a key innovator in the industry for 25 years, having grown successful luxury brands such as Besado Tequila and others. By leveraging its expertise, ISW Holdings can help companies in the adult beverage industry increase production, streamline their supply chains, implement better processes, innovate their marketing strategies, expand into new areas, and build sustainable relationships with partners and customers.

Management Team

Terry Williams, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Terry Williams brings to the company more than 30 years of experience in accounting and information systems, logistics, insurance, and transportation. With a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in accounting and management information systems, Williams amassed considerable corporate experience at United Parcel Service, where he took several logistical roles, including controller, where he managed more than 2,000 employees and a budget of more than $10 billion.

Williams also serves as president of Airwave Transportation and logistics and chief financial officer of AVI Insurance Caribbean, and he has worked in over 37 domestic and international airports. In 2013, he received the National Airport Minority Advisory Council Award for mastering skills in the aviation industry.

Alonzo Pierce, Chairman
Alonzo Pierce is chairman of ISW Holdings and brings a wealth of business development and wealth management experience to the ISW team. He has spent the past 20 years building recognizable brands in multiple industry sectors. He has launched enterprises in life-styled brands which were delivered to high-profile, high-net worth families and individuals. He has worked in the adult beverage industry, establishing a formidable background in marketing and brand creation. Pierce has a B.A. from Baylor University and has received multiple awards in the adult beverage industry, including ‘Outstanding Sales Performance in the Southern Region’ for Sapphire Brands, including selling the world’s only black vodka. He served as regional director for Sapphire Brands, covering the Southwest and Southeast regions. Pierce also served as a national liaison to a Super-Regional Bank’s private wealth division. In addition to his for-profit endeavors, Pierce has served on multiple charitable boards, sourcing funding for JRA, food insecure families and housing insecure families.

Kristina Mahoney-Brown, Secretary, Treasurer, Director
Kristina Mahoney-Brown is secretary and treasurer as well as director of ISW Holdings. With more than 20 years of experience providing tax and financial consulting to real estate companies, as well as investors, developers and construction companies, Mahoney-Brown has gained solid business expertise and market knowledge and prides herself on staying abreast of the latest industry trends. Her professionalism, impeccable work ethic and advanced marketing strategies have earned her the nickname ‘The Tax Diva’. Mahoney-Brown has a Bachelor’s in accounting, a Master’s in taxation and a Master’s in business administration, specializing in personal financial planning.

ISW Holdings (ISWH), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.18275, up 33.2969%, on 580,230 volume with 197 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 26,938 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.109999999/$7.00.

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