BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV)

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

BiondVax (NASDAQ: BVXV) , a biotechnology company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing innovative products for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and other illnesses, today announced that its Head of Technical R&D, Dr. Dalit Weinstein Fischer , will attend and present at Recent Advances in Fermentation Technology (“RAFT”) 14 . The conference of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (“SIMB”) is taking place from Nov. 6 to 9, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. RAFT provides academic and industrial scientists a forum to discuss the latest developments in fermentation technology. Dr. Fischer’s presentation, slated to begin at 3:35 p.m. ET on Nov. 8, will focus on BiondVax’s yeast fermentation system to manufacture innovative alpaca-derived recombinant nanosized VHH-antibodies (“NanoAbs”). BiondVax’s lead NanoAb candidate, for treatment of COVID-19, exhibits significant competitive advantages over currently available monoclonal antibody (“mAbs”) and oral COVID-19 therapies. Development is also underway for additional NanoAbs that address diseases with large unmet medical needs and attractive commercial opportunities, such as psoriasis and asthma. To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/ttnng

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

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

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

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

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

Lead Candidate: Inhaled COVID-19 NanoAb

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

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

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

NanoAb Pipeline: Psoriasis, Asthma and More

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

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

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

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

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

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

Market Opportunity

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

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

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

Management Team

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

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

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

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

BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.8392, up 2.4664%, on 62,051 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 16,746 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.5335/$3.49.

Recent News

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Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI).

Golden Matrix (NASDAQ: GMGI) , a developer and licensor of online gaming platforms, systems and gaming content, white labels its industry-leading GM-AG System that can be custom-built from 10,000+ game options for its roughly 650 clients serving about 6.8 million end users. “The online gambling space is highly competitive, leading to most of the world’s biggest operators burning through tons of cash for marketing in a bid to try and attract (and keep) customers. That’s cash that comes straight off the bottom line, explaining why many struggle to achieve profitability. That’s certainly not the case for GMGI, which continues to experience revenue growth on its way to amassing an impressive streak of 16 straight profitable quarters,” reads a recent article. “While the coronavirus pandemic was a detriment to many businesses and industries forced to shutter their doors in compliance with distancing orders meant to control the spread of the disease, Golden Matrix experienced growth.” To view the full article, visit https://ibn.fm/xrED6

Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is an established gaming technology company that develops and owns online gaming IP and builds turnkey online casino solutions for gaming operators as well as configurable and scalable white-label gaming platforms for international customers, located primarily in the Asia-Pacific region. GMGI’s gaming IP includes tools for marketing, acquisition, retention and monetization of users. The company’s platform can be accessed through both desktop and mobile applications.

GMGI’s sophisticated software automatically declines any gaming or redemption requests from within the United States, in strict compliance with U.S. law.

Golden Matrix, through a subsidiary, also runs a pay-to-enter prize competition in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The company’s shares began trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol ‘GMGI’ on March 17, 2022. Golden Matrix shares were previously traded on the OTCQX Best Market.

For the quarter ended January 31, 2022, the company reported revenue of $8.88 million, an increase of 355% over the same quarter one year earlier. Net income for the three-month period was $349,379, up from $52,158 a year earlier. It was the company’s 14th consecutive profitable quarter.

In December 2021, Golden Matrix announced it had entered into a purchase agreement to acquire a controlling ownership interest in UK-based RKingsCompetitions Ltd., one of Ireland’s and the United Kingdom’s leading independent online competition companies. RKings presents customers with paid and free entry routes to competitions that offer a range of prizes, including residential properties, luxury and exotic motor vehicles, holiday packages, technology packages and cash. The competitions are currently open only to residents of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Golden Matrix acquired an 80% ownership interest in RKings for cash and stock. The company also secured an option to purchase the remaining 20 percent interest of RKings, subject to certain requirements.

In March 2022, Golden Matrix announced it had applied for a Mexican gaming permit and, once approved, expects to offer online gaming in Mexico as well as roll out the RKings tournament business globally.

Technology

Golden Matrix Group develops fully operational online casino turnkey solutions as well as highly modular, configurable and scalable gaming platforms for its international customers in an effort to promote user acquisition, engagement, retention and monetization. The provided white label gaming platform is unparalleled in both mobile and desktop website deployment, proving compatible throughout all major operating systems and web browsers. In addition, the platform enhances the client’s ability to cater to various gaming scenarios including but not limited to transaction management and a range of loyalty and reward programs. Moreover, user engagement is optimized through the ability to accommodate both free and paid games.

The company’s GM-X System (and recently its next generation GM-Ag System) is considered the industry standard, granting access to over 10,000 games from more than 25 game providers. Through the GM-X System, Golden Matrix offers the industry’s most extensive game portfolio. The company’s gaming partners dominate the global online gaming market to deliver innovative games and premium brand titles. The GM-X System offers payment gateways that integrate with third party platforms or digital wallets. It supports all major currencies and offers multiple language options. The system’s data analytics provide the operator with a 360-degree view of the gaming platform’s performance.

GMGI currently supports over 500 unique casino brands and over 6 million players.

Market Outlook

Online gaming and sports betting sites and apps are increasingly taking market share from traditional location-based casinos. Widespread internet service availability and increasing use of mobile phones for playing online games from homes and public places is driving the market, according to a report from Grand View Research. In addition, factors such as easy access to online gambling, legalization and cultural approval, corporate sponsorships, and celebrity endorsements are also contributing to market growth. The growing availability of cost-effective mobile applications across the globe is further expected to fuel market growth.

This trend is only expected to accelerate as millennials reach their peak earning years and Gen Z youth begin to complete their education and move into careers. These generations are completely comfortable with online recreation, and with using technology like digital wallets and digital gameplay that underpins online gaming.

The global online gambling market was valued at $53.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% from 2020 to 2027 to reach a value of $127.3 billion, according to Grand View Research, with much of the growth expected from the U.S. and Asia. Even Europe, the most mature gaming market, is expected to grow at a rate of 20-25% year-over-year.

Management Team

Brian Goodman is CEO of Golden Matrix Group. He has more than 20 years of diverse senior management experience and business development roles within the technology and internet gaming industries. He has a tertiary science qualification as well as a marketing and sales background. His previous roles have been entrepreneurial and include CEO and senior management positions in smaller organizations, which he founded or in which he held equity, as well as multinational organizations.

Cathy Feng is COO at Golden Matrix. She is a co-founder of GMGI and holds a Master of Commerce degree. She has 10 years of experience as a financial officer in the technology and internet gaming industries. In past management positions, she interpreted, analyzed and presented financial and operation information to facilitate business decisions, grow companies and resolve complex problems. In addition, she has skills in marketing, business development, leadership and strategic planning.

Omar Jimenez is CFO and Chief Compliance Officer at GMGI. Prior to joining the company, he was CFO and COO of Alfadan Inc., a supplier of marine outboard engines. He has held senior financial management and operational positions at public and private companies including NextPlay Technologies, American Leisure Holdings, US Installation Group and Onyx Group. He holds various accounting professional certifications, including CPA and CPCU, and degrees in finance, accounting and business.

Henry Zhang is Chief Technology Officer at Golden Matrix. He oversees all aspects of development, integration and deployment of GMGI’s technology systems. He plays a key role in evolving GMGI’s technology business to lead and shape the industry. He is responsible for developing and scaling new businesses, including online gaming, eSport and P2P Systems. He was instrumental in launching the GM-X system and has been with the company for more than six years.

Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), closed Thursday's trading session at $2.84, up 11.3725%, on 16,746 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $3.49/$.

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Aditxt Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTX)

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

Organ rejection usually occurs when the immune system of the recipient of a transplanted organ treats the transplanted organ as a foreign object and attacks it. At the moment, patients can only reduce the risk of organ rejection by taking immunosuppressants, which alleviate symptoms of rejection but make patients more susceptible to infections. It is estimated that over one-half of patients who receive donor lungs experience organ rejection. Researchers believe that frequent rejection rates and continuous exposure to bacteria and particulates in the air cause irritation while also stimulating the immune system to attack the donor lungs. While medical advancements had improved the one-year rate of survival for lung transplant patients to 83% in 2016 from the 45% recorded in 1990, the five-year rate of survival is still at about 50%. Other for-profit enterprises such as Aditxt Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTX) are also exploring ways to modulate how the immune system responds to transplanted organs. As these efforts reach fruition, organ rejection rates could decrease in the future.

Aditxt Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTX) is a biotech innovation company developing technologies focused on mapping and reprogramming the immune system. Aditxt’s immune mapping technologies are designed to provide a personalized immune profile. Aditxt’s immune reprogramming technologies, currently preclinical, are being developed to retrain the immune system to induce tolerance to address rejection of transplanted organs, autoimmune diseases, and allergies.

As further discussed below, the company’s first commercial product is an immune mapping technology, AditxtScore™, which is designed to provide a personalized profile of the immune system.

The company’s preclinical immune reprogramming technology, Apoptotic DNA Immunotherapy™ (“ADi™”), aims to retrain the immune system to induce tolerance, with the goal of addressing vast unmet needs in transplanted organ rejection, autoimmune diseases, and allergies. The company is developing specific ADi™ products for psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, and skin grafting.

Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Aditxt also operates locations in Silicon Valley and New York.

AditxtScore™

AditxtScore™ is a proprietary platform designed to provide a personalized, comprehensive profile of an individual’s immune system. The underlying technology, licensed from Stanford University through an exclusive worldwide agreement, offers a highly sensitive and accurate method of detecting and quantifying cellular responses, allowing greater specificity, quantification, and amplification of both clinical and commercial opportunities.

The company’s first commercial application of the platform, AditxtScore™ for COVID-19, delivers timely reports on vulnerability and immune status relating to SARS-CoV-2 and its known variants, giving consumers and physicians the data needed to make informed health decisions. Potential future applications will offer early detection of an array of conditions, including diabetes, cardio-metabolic maladies and hormonal imbalances.

Aditxt’s AditxtScore™ immune monitoring center in Richmond, Virginia, is operational and designed to support the anticipated increased demand for AditxtScore™ as well as related products and services. The company is currently scaling its capabilities at this location, with a goal of processing up to 10 million immune system tests/reports annually.

ADi™

ADi™ is Aditxt’s immune reprogramming platform addressing disease-causing immune responses while maintaining the immune system’s ability to combat pathogenic infection. The company is commercializing a nucleic acid-based technology called Apoptotic DNA Immunotherapy™ (ADi™) which utilizes a novel approach that mimics the way our bodies naturally induce tolerance to our own tissues (therapeutically induced immune tolerance). Aditxt believes its ADi™ technology platform can be engineered to address a wide variety of indications.

Aditxt is currently developing ADi™ products for psoriasis, type 1 diabetes and skin grafting.

Currently, immuno-tolerance is achievable through chimerism and cell-based therapy, but there is a clinical need for a more practical and cost-effective approach which:

• Can be made into a product
• Does not require additional hospitalization
• Is simple to produce and ship

Preclinical studies have demonstrated that ADi™ treatment significantly and substantially prolongs graft survival, in addition to successfully “reversing” other established immune-mediated inflammatory processes. ADi™ treatment is not expected to require hospitalization, instead being delivered as an injection in minute amounts into the skin.

IP Portfolio

Both AditxtScore™ and ADi™ are supported by a strong IP portfolio.

AditxtScore™, built upon initial technology invented, licensed from and used at Stanford University, is protected by U.S. patents encompassing methods, systems, and kits for detection and measurement of specific immune responses.

ADi™ technology is protected by seven patent families, including:

• 8 U.S. patents
• 4 pending U.S. patent applications
• 86 foreign patents and 14 pending foreign patent applications spanning the EU, Australia, Canada, Japan, China, India and Hong Kong

These patents are broadly categorized into three groups:

• Autoimmune diseases and Type 1 Diabetes
• Organ transplantation and a method of producing plasmid DNA to prevent immune activation
• Composition of matter for a tolerance delivery system for antigens of interest

Aditxt also possesses and/or in-licenses substantial know-how and trade secrets relating to the development and commercialization of its product candidates, including related manufacturing processes and technologies.

Market Overview

The potential market opportunities presented by immune monitoring and reprogramming are extensive, particularly as Aditxt continues to evaluate additional applications for the platforms.

The company’s initial focus on organ transplantation and related autoimmune response provides some insight into the potential of its approach. According to BCC Research, the global organ and tissue transplantation and alternatives market is on course to reach $120.3 billion by 2024, recording a CAGR of 7.4% from 2019. Industry data suggest that approximately 50% of all transplanted organs are rejected within 10-12 years, further highlighting the critical need for a practical, cost-effective solution to harmful autoimmune responses.

Through its focus on the COVID-19 testing market with AditxtScore™, Aditxt demonstrated the wide-ranging potential of its portfolio. Fortune Business Insights estimated the global COVID-19 diagnostics market at $48.64 billion for 2022. While demand for COVID-19 diagnostics is expected to lessen in the coming years, Aditxt will be uniquely positioned to leverage its existing infrastructure stemming from these operations as the company works to advance broader applications for the AditxtScore™ platform.

Leadership Team

Amro Albanna is the Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Aditxt. He has founded multiple startups to commercialize innovations in various industries, including healthcare, enterprise software, telecommunications, nano technology, consumer health, and biotech. Mr. Albanna has led numerous M&A and going-public transactions as a founder, co-founder, and senior executive.

Shahrokh Shabahang, D.D.S., MS, Ph.D., is the company’s Co-Founder, Chief Innovation Officer, and a member of its board. He brings to the team more than 20 years of experience in developing and commercializing life science technologies focused on product and clinical development in the fields of microbiology and immunology.

Corinne Pankovcin, CPA, MBA, is the President of Aditxt. Prior to joining Aditxt, Ms. Pankovcin served as CFO for several world class organizations, including Business Development Corporation of America, Blackrock Kelso Capital and AIG Capital Partners. In these roles, Ms. Pankovcin was responsible for executing portfolio investments and managing significant M&A transactions.

Thomas Farley is the Chief Financial Officer of Aditxt. From December 2015 to June 2020, Mr. Farley was the Controller and Treasurer of Business Development Corporation of America (“BDCA”), a publicly listed business development company. Prior thereto, from January 2011 to August 2015, Mr. Farley was the Senior Controller of Blackrock Capital Investment Corporation (NASDAQ: BKCC). Prior to joining BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation, Mr. Farley was a Senior Controller for PineBridge Investments Emerging Markets practice. Mr. Farley was also an Accounting Manager for Bessemer Venture Partners prior to his tenue at PineBridge. Mr. Farley began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, from 1996 to 2001. Mr. Farley earned his B.S. in Accounting from Long Island University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Rowena Albanna is the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Albanna has over two decades of experience in senior leadership roles for both technology startups and public companies. Ms. Albanna’s experience spans a wide variety of industries, including biotechnology, insect control, nanotechnology, consumer electronics, financials, telecommunications, e-commerce, online marketing, medical, and defense.

Matthew Shatzkes is the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Aditxt. As a former partner at an AM Law 50 law firm, Mr. Shatzkes advised a wide variety of healthcare related entities, including biotech companies, on corporate, regulatory, and strategic business matters. Mr. Shatzkes will oversee all aspects of the legal functions at Aditxt, including, providing advice and counsel on governance, regulatory matters, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial transactions.

Aditxt Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTX), closed Thursday's trading session at $2.24, up 0.44843%, on 420,557 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $2.10/$136.00.

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Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN)

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

Cepton (NASDAQ: CPTN) , a Silicon Valley innovator and leader in high-performance lidar solutions , today announced that its Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jun Pei and Chief Financial Officer Hull Xu will be participating in the 13th Craig-Hallum Alpha Select Conference. The event is slated to be held in New York City on Nov. 17, 2022. Cepton management will be available for group investor or one-on-one meetings throughout the conference. Interested parties should contact InvestorRelations@Cepton.com or their Craig-Hallum representative for related inquiries. To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/kxHBW

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

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

Micro Motion Technology (MMT®)

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

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

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

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

Agreement with KOITO

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

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

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

Collaboration with GM

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

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

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

Market Outlook

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

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

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

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

Management Team

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

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

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

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

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

Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN), closed Thursday's trading session at $2.22, up 1.3699%, on 159,981 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.01/$80.16.

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Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO).

Silo Pharma (NASDAQ: SILO) , a developmental-stage biopharmaceutical company, is focused on fusing traditional therapeutics with psychedelic research to provide novel treatments for numerous indications, including post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”), fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other rare neurological disorders. “Silo Pharma is currently developing ketamine treatments for fibromyalgia – a chronic disease that causes pain throughout the body. With no cure available, fibromyalgia can be a debilitating condition that extends beyond the pain to cause extreme fatigue, anxiety and memory issues. Silo’s novel ketamine formulation, designated as SP-26, is currently undergoing safety evaluation to treat fibromyalgia,” reads a recent article. “We are working closely with our joint venture partner Zylö Therapeutics in developing a topical sustained released ketamine utilizing Z-pod(TM) technology. Preclinical studies have already shown that our joint-developed delivery method and formulation can hold and distribute ketamine in a time-released manner. SP-26 reported positive results in reducing neuropathic nerve pain. This safety evaluation study will uncover maximum tolerated dosing data that will inform our future trials… We are confident that our highly constructive preclinical work on SP-26 will offer strong support for our pre-IND package as we seek to advance our time-released ketamine delivery system into the clinic,” Silo Pharma CEO Eric Weisblum is quoted as saying. To view the full article, visit https://ibn.fm/GfaAa

Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO), a developmental stage biopharmaceutical company, is focused on merging traditional therapeutics with psychedelic research for people suffering from indications such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other rare neurological disorders. Silo’s mission is to identify assets to license and fund research that the company believes will be transformative to the wellbeing of patients and the health care industry.

Silo is committed to developing innovative solutions to address a variety of underserved conditions. Combining Silo’s resources with world-class medical research partners, the company looks to make significant advances in the medical and psychedelic space.

Silo works to identify and partner with leading medical universities, providing the needed financial resources to develop safe therapeutic treatments while moving cutting-edge research through the clinical stage and into commercialization. The company is well-capitalized with access to additional funds as opportunities present themselves.

Silo recently engaged Donohoe Advisory Associates LLC for consulting and advisory services in connection with the potential uplisting of Silo’s common shares to the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Research

Silo has entered into research agreements and partnerships with multiple leading medical universities.

The company is involved in a sponsored study with Maastricht University utilizing repeated low doses of ketamine and psilocybin to examine the effects on cognitive and emotional dysfunctions in Parkinson’s disease and to understand its mechanism of action. The investigator in the Netherlands is acquiring the substances for the study and will then finalize the documentation to submit to the ethics committee.

Additionally, in June 2021, Silo announced its entry into a scientific research agreement with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). The agreement will leverage four other clinical trials being planned by the university to determine the effects of psilocybin on inflammation. The study will take place at The Translational Psychedelic Research (TrPR) Program at UCSF.

Silo also recently extended its exclusive option agreement with the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) to explore a novel invention generally known as joint-homing peptides. These peptides are being developed for use in the investigation and treatment of arthritogenic processes and can be used for enhanced targeting of therapeutic agents.

This agreement includes the study of two separate peptides. The first is an option and study for the treatment of arthritis. The second is a patented licensed peptide for the central nervous system, with an initial study for MS autoimmune diseases, in addition to rheumatoid arthritis. Animal studies are underway for both initial indications relating to the UMB agreement, with the potential for studies evaluating additional indications in the future.

Finally, Silo signed an agreement with Columbia University granting it an option to license certain assets currently under development, including an Alzheimer’s disease formulation targeting NDMARs and 5-HT4Rs, as well as a prophylactic treatment for stress-induced disorders and PTSD. Both candidates are currently being tested in mice and have already provided early data.

In addition to its university partnerships, Silo entered a joint venture agreement with Zylo Therapeutics Inc. (“ZTI”) focused on the development of ketamine and psilocybin using ZTI’s Z-Pod™ technology for the transdermal time released delivery of therapeutics. In November 2021, the company announced ZTI’s reception of its first ketamine shipment and initiation of loading ketamine into its Z-Pod technology. In a news release, Eric Weisblum, CEO of Silo, called the development an “important milestone” that will help the company “study the benefits of slow-release transdermal release of Ketamine.”

Market Overview

According to Coherent Market Insights, the fibromyalgia treatment market was valued at $2.78 billion in 2018 and has a projected CAGR of 3.3% over the forecast period 2018 to 2026. Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain all over the body, sleep problems, fatigue, and emotional and mental distress.

The global PTSD therapeutics market is expected to reach $10.68 billion by 2026 with a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026, according to a report by Credence Research. Growing prevalence of PTSD is the chief factor driving the global treatment market. Increases in events such as wars, combat, and interpersonal violence has been a major contributing factor. Other factors like growing emphasis on rehabilitation initiatives by governments for treating their war veterans has also been facilitating the increase in demand for PTSD therapeutics.

Fortune Business Insights reports the global Parkinson’s disease treatment market is predicted to grow to $8.38 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period. Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system which primarily affects the brain, causing uncontrollable shaking and tremors, difficulties in balance and restricted body movement making it difficult for the person to function or perform a daily routine.

Management Team

Eric Weisblum is CEO and founder of Silo Pharma. He has over 25 years of Wall Street experience, most recently in the biotechnology sector. He has served on the board of Aikido Pharma and was the president of Sableridge Capital. He has a proven track record in licensing therapeutic assets and assisting in their development. He brings to the company nearly 20 years of expertise in structuring and trading financial instruments. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business.

Dr. Kevin Muñoz was appointed to the Silo board of directors in November 2020. He teaches biomedical sciences and medical intervention for the Passaic County Technical Institute. He previously served as Director of Operations at Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He began his career with Harlem Health Promotion Center in New York City as a research assistant. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Medicine from Xavier University School of Medicine.

Josh Woolley, M.D., Ph.D., is a Scientific Advisor for Silo. He is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. He is also a psychiatrist on staff at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He is the director and founder of the Bonding and Attunement in Neuropsychiatric Disorders Laboratory. He received both his M.D. and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCSF, where he completed his psychiatry residency training.

Charles Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D., is a Scientific Advisor for Silo Pharma. He directs the Institute for Early Life Adversity Research within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences as part of the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences. He was chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and clinical director of the Center on Aging at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. in neurobiology from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO), closed Thursday's trading session at $3.9012, up 4.3102%, on 12,590 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $3.5715/$12.445.

Recent News

• Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO) - PsychedelicNewsBreaks - Silo Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: SILO) Confident in Preclinical Work on Its Novel Ketamine Formulation
• Microscopy Provides Insights on Psychedelics Action Inside Neuropathways
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Silo Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: SILO) to Present at Largest Gathering in Psychedelic Medicine Sector

Flora Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: FLGC)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Flora Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: FLGC).

• President Biden issued a pardon for federally incarcerated inmates with minor marijuana possession charges, urging governors to do the same at the state level

• The President also requested a reclassification of cannabis, as it is currently listed above other drugs which are key factors in the overdose epidemic

• Flora Growth, through its Colombian cultivation, is producing a higher quality product at lower-than-average cost margins due to the country's stance on cannabis regulations

With midterm elections right around the corner, voters in five states – Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota - will determine the legality of recreational marijuana use within each state on voting day. If passed, these states will join 19 states, two territories, and D.C., which have embraced recreational marijuana use legalization. Currently, 37 states, three territories, and D.C. already recognize the legal use of cannabis for medicinal reasons. According to Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, "When you look at ballot campaigns in the past, you'll see that this is an issue that crosses traditional party lines. We anticipate similar outcomes this November" ( https://cnw.fm/cvqld ). Early in November, President Biden released a formal statement on his goals for marijuana reform across the country. Citing how criminal records can impose unnecessary barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities – more disproportionately to those people of color who are more often arrested, prosecuted, and convicted. His announcement included three steps – pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession, urging the governors to do the same in their respective states, and initiating a review by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to review the classification of marijuana, which is classified higher than drugs currently driving the overdose epidemic ( https://cnw.fm/xpxsm ). President Biden’s request for the reclassification of marijuana and the pardons issued at the federal level is helping to change the landscape of the cannabis industry. An international cannabis company, Flora Growth (NASDAQ: FLGC) , is focused on cannabis brand building, leveraging natural, cost-effective cultivation practices to supply cannabis derivatives to its diverse business divisions, including cosmetics, hemp textiles, and food and beverage. The company operates one of the largest outdoor cultivation facilities in the world with the aim of marketing higher-quality premium products at below-market prices. Flora Growth offers low-cost cannabis cultivation, an expansive brand and product portfolio, and a strategic global distribution platform. The NASDAQ listing of the company precludes it from participating in the US domestic market for adult use presently due to federal prohibitions.

Flora Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: FLGC) is an internationally focused cannabis brand builder that leverages natural, cost-effective cultivation practices to supply cannabis derivatives to its diverse business divisions, including cosmetics, hemp textiles, and food and beverage. Flora Growth operates one of the largest outdoor cultivation facilities in the world with an aim of marketing a higher-quality premium product at below-market prices. By prioritizing natural ingredients and value-chain sustainability across its portfolio, the company creates premium products that help consumers restore and thrive.

Flora Growth completed the first traditional cannabis IPO on Nasdaq in May 2021. Although currently headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with plans to relocate its head office to Miami, Florida, the company’s base of operations is in Colombia, where it has built an extensive distribution network that includes Colombia’s largest distributors.

Currently, Flora Growth is organically growing market share for its existing brand portfolio (pharmaceuticals, textiles, cosmetics, and food & beverage) while seeking revenue-generating acquisitions that offer an accretive distribution network to amplify revenue growth.

Existing Brand & Product Portfolio

Flora Growth’s portfolio spans a number of verticals – each with a thoughtful brand designed to resonate with its intended end consumer. In line with the company’s mission, each brand prioritizes natural ingredients and value-chain sustainability.

Flora Lab S.A.S

Flora Lab is the company’s GMP certified manufacturing and R&D center focused on producing pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals for domestic and international markets. Its offerings include product lines that are private label, white-label, and custom formulas.

Through Flora Lab, Flora Growth has relationships with 1,500+ distribution channels, manufactures 63+ OTC products registered with INVIMA (Colombia National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute), and holds multiple GMP certifications enabling international export in an effort to leverage Flora Lab’s capacity to produce a wide range of CBD-infused products.

Flora Beauty

Flora Beauty is the company’s CBD beauty and cosmetics division founded by fashion and beauty industry icon Paulina Vega. Its current offerings include two CBD skincare brands targeting the U.S. and Latin American markets – MIND NATURALS and AWE. These lines exemplify Flora Growth’s socially conscious approach to business.

Currently, Flora Beauty products are offered globally through e-commerce, as well as through Falabella’s 111 retail locations across Latin America. The company is in negotiations with major department stores to launch the line in the U.S. and is also exploring opportunities in the U.K. and other European markets.

KASA Wholefoods

KASA Wholefoods is a Colombian manufacturer of food and beverages leveraging responsibly sourced exotic fruits from the Amazon. KASA has a $10 million+ distribution agreement with Tropi, Colombia’s largest food distributor, which has 130,000+ distribution points across the country.

Mambe, KASA’s leading brand, is already offered through over 980 distribution points across Colombia. Flora Growth expects this network to grow to over 1,200 distribution points in 2021, including one of Colombia’s largest coffee chains, Tostao Café & Pan.

Hemp Textiles & Co.

Through its Hemp Textiles division, Flora Growth intends to utilize its large land package and cultivation infrastructure to capture market share in the rapidly growing hemp industrials segment.

The company’s first brand through this division, Stardog Loungewear, offers a line of comfortable loungewear made from natural, organic materials. Stardog has been distributing globally through e-commerce and brick and mortar channels in Bogota since fall 2020, and the company intends to open U.S. brick and mortar locations in 2021.

Accretive M&A

Flora Growth is targeting transactions to complete the supply chain via key infrastructure to enhance its global distribution with the aim to compete on low-cost, high-quality inputs paired with premium brands that create business lines with robust margins.

To date, Flora has announced two major transactions.

Koch & Gsell (Acquisition)

• Amplify CPG portfolio’s revenue growth through leading brand, Heimat, currently with TTM revenues of $7.6 million.
• Leverage Koch &Gsell’s distribution network of 2,500+ stores to introduce Flora to the Swiss, European and Asian markets.
• Bring patented hemp cigarette manufacturing technology into new markets utilizing Flora’s high-quality cannabis.

Hoshi International (Investment)

• Equity Investment of €2 million into Hoshi to establish Flora as a preferred supplier to two EU processing facilities.
• Opens gateway for Flora Growth’s cannabis through international distribution agreements in the EU and U.K.
• Hoshi’s experienced team and increased access to the EU cannabis market to serve as a catalyst for revenue growth.

Cultivation

Key to Flora Growth’s expansion efforts is its cultivation strategy. The company’s Cosechemos farm, located in Bucaramanga, Colombia, is currently licensed to cultivate 247 acres of cannabis. Through three successful pilot crop plantings, the location has demonstrated a production cost of just $0.06/gram. For comparison, the average cost of North American cannabis (based on 2019 figures from Aphria, Tilray, Sundial, and Aurora) equates to roughly $1.89/gram.
Flora Growth is uniquely positioned to capitalize on Colombia’s favorable growing conditions, low-cost infrastructure, and affordable local workforce as it looks to ramp up its cultivation efforts moving forward.

Leadership Team

Bernard Wilson is the Chairman of Flora Growth. A senior financial professional, Dr. Wilson is the former Vice-Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and is the Chairman of the Founders Board of the Institute of Corporate Directors. He has also served as Chairman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce – Canada; and Member of the Canada/U.S. Trade Committee. Dr. Wilson draws on this experience to ensure Flora Growth adheres to effective corporate governance practices.

Luis Merchan is the company’s President and CEO. He is a proven executive with over a decade of experience in enterprise sales management, corporate strategy, merchandising and expense management, and customer experience. Mr. Merchan previously served as Macy’s Inc.’s Vice President of Workforce Strategy and Operations, where he managed the enterprise’s multi-billion-dollar P&L expense line for the entire 540 store portfolio. Throughout his tenure at Macy’s, he led various sales and marketing initiatives, including the B2B corporate sales team that was responsible for $160 million in annual revenue. Mr. Merchan obtained his Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from Pontifical Xaverian University in Bogota, Colombia, and his MBA from McNeese State University. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Marketing Management from Harvard.

Juan Manuel Galan is a Strategic Advisor to the Flora Growth management team. Mr. Galan currently serves as a senior consultant to The World Bank. He is a politician and former senator of Colombia, serving three terms from 2006 to 2018 as a member of the Colombian Liberal Party. He is also a former professor at the University of Rosario and holds more than 20 years of journalistic, academic, governmental and parliamentary experience. During his time as a senator, Mr. Galan was a key leader, with 29 bills and 27 debates on political control, and 17 laws to his name. The most relevant of those laws was authoring the medical cannabis law that resulted in the legalization of medical cannabis in Colombia.

Stan Bharti is a Director of Flora Growth. Mr. Bharti currently serves as Executive Chairman of Forbes & Manhattan. He has more than 30 years of professional experience in business, finance, markets, operations and more, with a focus on the resource and technology sectors. To date, Mr. Bharti has amassed over $3 billion worth of investment capital for the companies with which he has worked and their shareholders. He is a Professional Mining Engineer and holds a master’s degree in engineering from Moscow, Russia, and University of London, England.

Javier Franco is the company’s VP of Agriculture. Mr. Franco is a master horticulturist with more than 25 years of experience in the design, implementation, and management of cultivation and propagation facilities of more than 30 species of cut flowers in Latin America. He completed his agricultural studies at Zamorano University in Honduras and later at an International Exchange Program at Ohio State University. Mr. Franco has directed technical, commercial, and research groups in the cut flower, fruit and vegetable markets in Latin America and has participated in the commercial development of new technologies applied in agribusiness. He has also led the agri-management of organic crops and certifications of Good Agricultural Practices.

Flora Growth Corp. (FLGC), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.5469, up 3.1887%, on 401,866 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.5011/$5.6092.

Recent News

• Flora Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: FLGC) - Cannabis Regulation in the Spotlight During Midterm Elections at the Heels of Presidential Pardon; Flora Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: FLGC) Leveraging Colombian Stance to Manufacture Products at Lower Costs
• 420 with CNW - Floridians to Start Buying Cannabis at Circle K Gas Stations
• Flora Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: FLGC) Focusing on Execution and Brand Integration Following Successful Period of Strategic Investment

Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (OTC: CYBN)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN).

Cybin (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) , a biopharmaceutical company focused on progressing Psychedelics to Therapeutics(R), today announced its participation in upcoming investor events. The company’s Chief Executive Officer Doug Drysdale will present and host investor meetings at the Jefferies London Healthcare Conference taking place on Nov. 15-17, 2022. Drysdale’s presentation is slated to begin at 8:00 a.m. GMT on Nov. 15. Drysdale will also participate in a panel discussion titled “Psychedelics Landscape – What can we expect?” at 5:00 p.m. GMT on Nov. 16, 2022, at the Pinsent Masons Psychedelics Panel in London, U.K. In addition, Drysdale will participate in a live fireside chat with other industry thought leaders at 5:00 p.m. GMT at the PSYCH Investor Event: Emerging Innovations in Psychedelic Healthcare taking place on Nov. 17, 2022, in London, U.K. Live and archived webcasts will be available on the company’s investor relations website. To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/2FGb6

Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) is a Canada-based life sciences company focused on the pharmaceutical development of psychedelic products, as well as the functional mushroom market.

The early-stage company boasts an experienced management team featuring industry veterans from pharmaceutical and consumer product backgrounds who have run multiple clinical trials and collectively helped facilitate billions of dollars in product revenues. The team is dedicated to the development of products and protocols within the psychedelic, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

In particular, Cybin aims to further build upon and expand its intellectual property (IP) portfolio, which is structured around unique psilocybin delivery mechanisms that target a number of different therapeutic indications. In addition, the company has dedicated itself toward furthering its research and IP within the fields of synthetic compounds, extraction methods, the isolation of chemical compounds, new drug formulations and protocol regimes.

Serenity Life Sciences & Natures Journey Inc.

The company’s business model is centered around its two core subsidiaries, Serenity Life Sciences and Natures Journey Inc., which comprise Cybin’s two-pronged approach toward delivering fungi-derived psychedelic and medicinal products.

Serenity Life Sciences is focused on furthering research and development of psilocybin-based medications. Psilocybin is found in certain species of mushrooms and is a non-habit forming, naturally occurring psychedelic compound. Research into psilocybin has shown positive results for the treatment of depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, eating disorders, ADHD and other indications.

Natures Journey Inc. operates the Journey brand, which specializes in developing proprietary medicinal mushroom products that target and promote mental wellness, immune boosting detoxification and overall general health and wellbeing.

Partnership with the Toronto Centre for Psychedelic Science (TCPS)

Staying true to its axiom of being a research-first medicinal mushroom life sciences company, Cybin recently announced its entry into a strategic partnership with the Toronto Centre for Psychedelic Science (TCPS), with the goal of furthering its ongoing psilocybin research efforts and expanding Cybin’s psilocybin IP portfolio (http://nnw.fm/9EUkI).

“While there is evidence to support psilocybin as a treatment for certain indications, the Toronto Centre for Psychedelic Science is taking a clinical approach to prove or disprove the safety and efficacy of psilocybin-based microdosing through an open science approach,” Paul Glavine, CEO of Cybin, stated in a news release.

“We are excited to join forces with Cybin and to offer our expertise. A number of firms had approached TCPS, but Cybin demonstrated a superior commitment to high-quality research and integrity in product development. Our high standards for scientific rigor and transparency will find a fitting home within the culture Cybin is cultivating in Canada and abroad,” Thomas Anderson, co-founder of the Toronto Centre for Psychedelic Science, added.

Journey’s Product Monetization & Market Potential for Nutraceutical Supplements

Although Cybin is at the forefront of companies seeking to conduct clinical trials aimed at gaining regulatory approval for psilocybin and other psychedelic products, the company has also placed a great deal of emphasis on generating meaningful revenue from its very outset.

Cybin’s Journey brand has is launching a range of supplements comprised of popular fungi-derived ingredients such as Reishi, Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps. Purported to aid focus and concentration while promoting neurogenesis, Journey’s range of nutraceutical products provides Cybin with a crucial foothold within the non-psychedelic legal supplement market, which is valued at over $25 billion globally and growing at a 9% year-over-year rate.

Pharmaceutical Psychedelics

In addition to the company’s range of non-psychedelic supplements, Cybin has plans to carry out a clinical trial with a new delivery system for its psilocybin-based medications later this year. Ultimately, the company aims to enter into technology transfer agreements with global pharmaceutical companies after phase 1 & phase 2 clinical trials are complete in order to accelerate regulatory approvals in major indications in global markets with entire lifecycle product management.

With products such as psilocybin truffles already legal in nations such as the Netherlands, Jamaica and Bulgaria, Cybin has positioned itself to capitalize on an eventual legalization of psychedelic mushroom-derived products in the future. Working within a regulatory environment with strong similarities to that which dealt with cannabis prior to the industry’s eventual legalization by the Canadian government in 2018, Cybin is laying the groundwork for the moment pharmaceutical psychedelics gain acceptance in North America and abroad.

Amalgamation Agreement and Financing

Cybin recently announced its entry into an amalgamation agreement dated June 26, 2020, with Clarmin Explorations Inc. (TSX.V: CX) and 2762898 Ontario Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Clarmin (http://nnw.fm/w04LH). Completion of the transactions contemplated in the amalgamation agreement will result in the reverse takeover of Clarmin by Cybin.

In connection with the proposed transaction, Cybin plans to complete a “best-efforts” brokered private placement of subscription receipts of Cybin, with a syndicate of agents co-led by Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc. (Stifel GMP) and Eight Capital, to raise a minimum of C$14 million ($10 million) and a maximum of C$21 million ($15 million), with a 15% agents’ option.

To date, Cybin has raised approximately C$10,400,000 through an initial financing round and its series A financing round.

Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.468, up 1.7391%, on 637,496 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.3903/$2.355.

Recent News

• Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) - InvestorNewsBreaks - Cybin Inc. (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) Announces Participation Schedule for Upcoming Investor Events
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) Exec to Present at Neuropsychiatric & Psychedelics Drug Development Summit
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) EMBARK Program Graduates Class of Facilitators

REZYFi, Inc.

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight REZYFi, Inc.

REZYFi is positioned as one of the first cannabis mortgage bankers in the U.S., where most traditional lenders are reticent to serve the state-licensed cannabis industry. “The company operates through two wholly owned subsidiaries – REZYFi Lending, which primarily addresses emerging real estate-related financing opportunities, and ResMac Inc., the company’s traditional mortgage origination, correspondent and servicing operation,” a recent article reads. The piece further discusses the company’s use of multiple corporate strengths for its success. “Experience – REZYFi is led by a seasoned management team with significant expertise spanning a wide range of real estate and financing subsectors. The team also has extensive experience in the cannabis and hemp marketplace, which the company intends to leverage as it navigates the changing landscape of the cannabis industry while sourcing the best opportunities in the sector. Network of Independent Brokers – Over the past five years, REZYFi has developed an extensive network of independent mortgage-related brokers and licensed loan officers. The company is currently training the network members on its new service offerings, with many already launching sales efforts. REZYFi believes this network will be a vital asset moving forward as other firms in the sector terminate relationships in the face of slowing mortgage business in a rising interest rate environment. Proprietary Technology – REZYFi has invested heavily in designing, building and implementing proprietary automated/machine learning technology to shorten loan processing timeframes and increase efficiencies, allowing it to operate its legacy business at staffing levels meaningfully below those of its competitors.” To view the full article, visit https://ibn.fm/95GIg

REZYFi, Inc. is a cannabis mortgage bank servicing the needs of both traditional and non-traditional consumers and businesses. Its target markets include licensed and permitted cannabis companies, owners of real estate who lease to cannabis companies, and companies and individual homeowners seeking a variety of real estate-related first and additional mortgage-based financing and project-specific financings, such as solar installations and real estate development projects.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, REZYFi operates through two wholly owned subsidiaries – REZYFi Lending, which primarily addresses emerging real estate-related financing opportunities, and ResMac Inc., the company’s traditional mortgage origination, correspondent and servicing operation. REZYFi is currently licensed in 34 U.S. states, with plans to expand to all remaining states later this year.

REZYFi is positioned as one of first cannabis mortgage bankers in the U.S., while most traditional lenders are still reticent to serve the state-licensed cannabis industry.

Operations

REZYFi Lending

REZYFi Lending leverages a wide network to offer options such as 15- and 30-year fixed-rate loans, FHA loans, VA loans, reverse mortgages, jumbo loans and adjustable-rate mortgages.

Looking ahead, the company expects increased funding in marketing and loan agents to drive significant origination growth over the next two years, further supported by the planned launch of a high-margin cannabis division later this year.

ResMac Inc.

ResMac has been in operation for 13 years, having closed more than 20,000 loans for more than 15,000 clients. The company expects to accumulate $285 million in retail origination in 2023, alongside $250 million in wholesale origination for the same period. ResMac is further targeting $600 million in origination through its mortgage correspondent operations for 2023.

Through its ResMac subsidiary, REZYFi operates as a direct lender and originator of residential mortgages, with active mortgage correspondent and mortgage servicing operations. Through its correspondent segment, ResMac primarily purchases and aggregates residential mortgages from trusted third-party originators.

The company intends to harvest the database of customers within its mortgage servicing operations as an essential source of additional growth, especially relative to the new alternative residential loan programs being offered.

Corporate Strengths

• Experience – REZYFi is led by a seasoned management team with significant expertise spanning a wide range of real estate and financing subsectors. The team also has extensive experience in the cannabis and hemp marketplace, which the company intends to leverage as it navigates the changing landscape of the cannabis industry while sourcing the best opportunities in the sector.
• Network of Independent Brokers – Over the past five years, REZYFi has developed an extensive network of independent mortgage-related brokers and licensed loan officers. The company is currently training the network members on its new service offerings, with many already launching sales efforts. REZYFi believes this network will be a vital asset moving forward as other firms in the sector terminate relationships in the face of slowing mortgage business in a rising interest rate environment.
• Proprietary Technology – REZYFi has invested heavily in designing, building and implementing proprietary automated/machine learning technology to shorten loan processing timeframes and increase efficiencies, allowing it to operate its legacy business at staffing levels meaningfully below those of its competitors.

Market Overview

REZYFi’s diversified approach to the real estate lending sector positions it to capitalize on growth in multiple verticals in the years to come.

In the first quarter of 2022, lenders issued 2.71 million residential loans, with the average balance for a first mortgage climbing to a record high of $298,324 in 2021, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. This trend is expected to continue, with Freddie Mac forecasting a 10.4 percent increase in home prices in 2022 and a 5.0 percent bump in 2023. Growth prospects in the cannabis industry paint a similar picture.

The National Association of Realtors® issued a report in April 2021 examining the correlation between cannabis legalization and real estate demand. In states where prescription and recreational cannabis use is legal, more than a third of surveyed agents reported an increase in demand for warehouses. Likewise, 23 percent of those surveyed reported an increase in demand for storefronts, and 28 percent observed increased demand for land. As other states look to join the 19 that have embraced full cannabis legalization, this rising demand could create an opportunity for REZYFi’s cannabis-focused initiatives.

In total, an analysis by market research firm Business Research Insights projects the global loan servicing market to reach a value of nearly $1.5 billion by 2028, up from $680.8 million in 2021. Those figures represent a CAGR of 11.0 percent during the forecast period of 2022-2028.

Management Team

John Vu, Esq., is CEO of REZYFi, Inc. He has more than two decades of experience in the mortgage and commercial banking industry. He has filled many senior and executive management positions in high-producing mortgage banks, including C-level assignments. He has also served as general counsel for a nationally associated commercial bank. Mr. Vu brings considerable cannabis industry expertise to REZYFi. He has served as a corporate attorney to multiple cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and retailers.

Ji Ji Zhang, Esq., is CFO of REZYFi, Inc. He is a multifaceted entrepreneur who owns a law firm, a portfolio of hotels and a high-producing mortgage bank. Mr. Zhang is also an investor in the development of a cannabis business park. He brings more than five years of experience in mortgage banking to REZYFi, having developed Freddie Mac and HUD licenses and amassed a managed portfolio valued at over $300 million.

Kevin Heckemeyer is President of REZYFi, Inc. He has more than 25 years of experience in mortgage banking. He has built and sold several high producing mortgage businesses. In his current roles with ResMac, he is responsible for production and operations.

Spencer Dang is Chief Credit Officer of REZYFi, Inc. He has more than a decade of experience in mortgage operations. He is a direct endorsement underwriter for HUD and has specialized in non-QM underwriting. Under his watch as an underwriter, he has never had a single repurchase.

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American Cannabis Partners

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight American Cannabis Partners.

The State Assembly in New Jersey has approved a proposed bill that seeks to give cannabis businesses in the state leeway to deduct some of their expenses as they file their state tax returns. This is a partial solution to the heavy tax burden that these companies struggle with because of the 280E federal tax policy section, which bars entities dealing in prohibited substances from claiming any federal tax deductions. The bill , introduced by Assemblymember Annette Quijano, received 60 to 6 vote, showing overwhelming support, and now heads to the state senate for further consideration and a vote before it is forwarded to the governor’s desk. Generally, most tax policies of different states are a mirror-image of the federal IRS tax code. However, this bill aims at making an exception regarding the way state-legal cannabis enterprises determine their gross income. Under this proposal, the gross income of these businesses will be ascertained without factoring in the provisions of IRS section 280E. Several states, including New York and Pennsylvania, are considering similar laws to reduce the tax burden suffered by licensed cannabis companies. It would be interesting to ascertain the tangible, quantifiable benefit that enterprises such as American Cannabis Partners might see if such measures were implemented in the jurisdictions where they operate.

American Cannabis Partners (ACP) is a multi-state cannabis company with 560,000 square feet of licensed canopy space for cultivation and one retail license. The company is nationally headquartered in Trinity County of Northern California’s Emerald Triangle.

ACP is focused on three complementary business segments: real estate, acquisition & development of proprietary assets, and ongoing cultivation operations. Led by a seasoned management team with 30+ years of canna-business experience, ACP’s strategy is to capture opportunities in real estate and licensing in states that have recently passed cannabis legalization legislation, thereby equipping the company to capitalize on Federal interstate commerce opportunities.

Through its current cultivation operations, ACP supplies approximately 80% of its whole flower products for manufacturing, distribution and retail licenses. With the remaining 20%, the company supplies its proprietary strains to select California distributors and its own Michigan retail location under its exclusive in-house brand, ZÜK.

History of American Cannabis Partners

In 2014, Stephen Jordan, President of ACP, took on the Director of Operations position for a U.S.-based company operating in the Jamaican cannabis space. Over the course of his three-year tenure in this role, Jordan developed a number of relationships that would help serve as the basis of American Cannabis Partners.

One such relationship was with Junior Gordon, a cultivation lead grower from Jamaica’s Westmoreland Parish. Jordan immediately saw the value of Gordon’s unique skillset and credentials, and Gordon recognized Jordan’s heartfelt vision of bringing Jamaican culture to the rapidly developing U.S. cannabis space.

Guided by that mission, ACP’s unchanging goal is to improve the lives of individuals through cannabis and business.

Current Operations

Since its founding in 2018, privately-owned American Cannabis Partners has established a foothold in two key U.S. cannabis markets – California and Michigan. In total, the company has acquired 12 cannabis licenses, including 20,000 sq. ft. of cultivation licenses in California and 540,000 sq. ft. of cultivation licenses & one retail license in Michigan.

ACP’s IP portfolio features three proprietary strains sold exclusively through the company’s wholly owned ZÜK brand, as well as proprietary data collection and mining systems supporting its cultivation and retail operations.

Plans for Expansion

American Cannabis Partners is pursuing additional growth in the cannabis sector through multiple planned initiatives. These include:

• Submitting applications for additional cultivation licenses at the company’s Trinity County, California, location;
• Planning land acquisition and project development strategies for expanding operations to its third U.S. state beginning in the second quarter of 2022; and
• Planning land acquisition and project development strategies for expanding operations to its fourth U.S. state beginning in the second quarter of 2024.

ACP is currently exploring expansion opportunities through partnerships and joint ventures in New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Nevada, Arizona, Missouri and Massachusetts.

Management Team

Stephen Jordan is the CEO of American Cannabis Partners. He is focused on the first and last steps of legal cannabis – cultivation and retail. To date, Mr. Jordan has provided the company with ownership of 12 licenses, three proprietary cannabis strains and multiple real estate assets. His background in cannabis operations and financial strategies has guided American Cannabis Partners’ efforts to produce consistently high-quality product for both the medical and recreational segments. Mr. Jordan has operated under cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, medical research (Univ. of West Indies), retail and exportation licenses in multiple countries, further strengthening his network within the cannabis industry.

Gary Coltek is the company’s Chief Operating Officer. He has credentials based in the culinary, hospitality and sustainability industries spanning over 40 years, including taking three companies public. Mr. Coltek has held management positions internationally with Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Trump Hospitality, Phymatrix and International Oncology Network. For 17 years, he was the founding member and partner of a private boutique consulting firm. He is currently a guest speaker and visiting professor at universities in Israel, China, Italy, the Netherlands and Peru, covering topics that include culinary sustainability, sustainable cannabis farming, organic sustainable farming and cannabis clinical studies.

Scot C. Crow is the Lead Corporate Counsel for American Cannabis Partners. He has extensive experience in corporate mergers & acquisitions and tax law. His clients rely on him to advise them with respect to their complex financial transactions and provide outside general counsel. Mr. Crow provides his clients proactive advice with respect to sensitive management matters, litigation management, day to day transactional needs and objective assessments for the development of successful business strategies. His experience includes serving as lead counsel for numerous mergers & acquisitions, private equity investments, private offerings, venture capital financings, mezzanine debt offerings, divestures and other related transactions, with an emphasis in the legalized marijuana segment.

Jacob Frenkel is the company’s Lead Compliance Counsel. He is the current Chair of Dickinson Wright’s Government Investigations and Securities Enforcement Practice. Mr. Frenkel’s solutions-minded approach to issues has earned him a reputation as an aggressive, tenacious, creative and proactive defense lawyer and litigator. After 14 years as a Senior Counsel in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, U.S. federal criminal prosecutor and New Orleans Assistant District Attorney, Mr. Frenkel has practiced in the private sector for 20 years. His unique mix of corporate transactional, litigation and investigations defense clients extend well beyond the cannabis industry and cover a wide range of industries worldwide.

Junior Gordon is the Director of Cultivation for American Cannabis Partners. With 30 years of international cannabis cultivation experience in both the Caribbean and United States, Mr. Gordon is recognized as one of the top growers in the world. His skills span both controlled indoor and large volume outdoor harvest programs, giving him proficiency in nursery, propagation and indoor & outdoor grow strategies. As a winner of High Times and other notable Cannabis Cups, his focus is on connecting the dots between propagation, soil, irrigation, planting, harvesting, curing, processing and inventory control, bringing Jamaican cannabis cultivation best practices to American Cannabis Partners’ operations.

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Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX).

Advanced Container Technologies (OTC: ACTX) , the exclusive U.S. distributor of self-contained, automated, indoor “micro-farms” called GrowPods, offer numerous benefits for farmers looking to be dynamic and fluid. GrowPods are unique controlled environment farms that don’t use expensive, dangerous pesticides and herbicides and provide a way for farmers to identify crops that are in short supply and then grow those crops, quickly and efficiently. A recent CNBC report noted that there is currently a “massive strain on global food supply,” especially as the world recovers from the global pandemic. That need, combined with the increasing costs of fertilizer and pesticides, make GrowPods an increasingly attractive option for farmers looking to make changes that will keep their farms viable and profitable. According to the announcement, GrowPods can grow an estimated acre of food in a transportable, scalable, automated system; crops can be grown year round, virtually anywhere, without the labor, expense and risks associated with pivots in traditional farming. "Not only do GrowPods provide highly nutritious food without the use of expensive and dangerous chemicals, but they also offer growers consistent food production year-round, reduced resource consumption, and faster harvest times,” said Advanced Container Technologies CEO Doug Heldoorn in the press release. To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/GPaRp . Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated that President Joseph Biden’s cannabis pardon proclamation was limited because it exempted noncitizens, who made up most of the federal possession cases. During the interview with Pod Save America, the congresswoman emphasized the importance of having a Democratic party that stood up for the immigrant population through the enactment of policies that were more inclusive. She argued that while the presidential pardon should be applauded, it wasn’t inclusive because the proclamation exempted convicted individuals who were undocumented. This is despite the fact that about 90% of individuals who would have benefited from the pardon had status complications. A 2016 U.S. Sentencing Commission report shows that more than 90% of cannabis possession cases at the federal level in fiscal year 2013 took place at the Southern border. The report states that 94% of the individuals arrested were not U.S. citizens. While these stats have changed as the years have gone by, they still speak to a trend in law enforcement. In addition to pardoning individuals, Biden also directed that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice carry out a scheduling review to determine whether marijuana’s current classification under the Controlled Substances Act was necessary. That review could have major ramifications for companies such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) that see the marijuana industry as a major part of the clientele they serve.

Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) is in the business of selling and distributing self-contained, automated, indoor “micro-farms” called Grow Pods, along with related equipment and supplies. Additionally, the company designs and sells patented proprietary medical-grade plastic containers, known as the Medtainer®, that store and grind pharmaceuticals, herbs, teas and other solids or liquids.

ACTX is the leading distributor of Grow Pods. With a controlled environment, food and herbs can be grown without pesticides, harmful chemicals or risk of pathogen contamination, and with low energy consumption. Restaurants, grocery stores, non-profits, MSOs and entrepreneurs can use Grow Pods to ensure a fresh supply of ultra-clean produce year-round.

The company entered the Grow Pod business in November 2020 with its acquisition of all shares of Advanced Container Technologies Inc., a California corporation. As of February 28, 2022, ACTX is exploring the acquisition of the assets and the assumption of some or all of the liabilities of GP Solutions Inc., the developer and manufacturer of Grow Pods, for which ACTX is currently the sole U.S. distributor.

Because Grow Pods can be located almost anywhere, produce can be grown closer to the point of consumption and harvested at its peak, providing nutritious fruits and vegetables where needed. Indoor micro-farms, utilizing a practice known as vertical farming, have attracted the attention of governments and universities, which are now promoting vertical farming as a way to combat food insecurity and inequities.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stated that vertical farming “is no longer a futuristic concept.” The department is enthusiastic about vertical farming, particularly those utilizing repurposed shipping containers, such as Grow Pods. Arizona State University reports that vertical farming reduces water use by 90 percent compared to conventional farming but produces 10 times the crop yield.

Products

Grow Pods

One of the company’s main business units is focused on selling advanced, self-contained hydroponic containers called Grow Pods. These unique and innovative automated systems are essentially micro-farms that can be placed virtually anywhere and, with their controlled and specially filtered environment, allow cultivation of a wide variety of crops, 365 days a year. The Grow Pod controlled environment offers major advantages for the production of high-value crops. The ability to grow year-round and the ability to cultivate in a smaller footprint using less water and power are some of the primary advantages of the system. Grow Pods offer constant temperature, humidity and airflow control, as well as automated watering and lighting schedules for optimal growth and minimal labor requirements, regardless of crop.

Containers

ACTX meets the needs of the pharmaceutical and medical markets, including the cannabis and hemp industries, with patented packaging systems. The company designs, customizes, brands and sells proprietary medical grade plastic containers that can store pharmaceuticals, herbs, teas and other solids or liquids, with a special built-in feature that can grind solids and shred herbs. The company’s flagship container product is the patented Medtainer®, a child resistant, medical-grade herb container and grinder that is water-tight, air-tight and smell proof. Packaging in the cannabis industry is critical, with numerous stringent regulations about how cannabis products must be packaged and labeled. ACTX also offers custom-branded, compliant vacuum seal bags and other retail container solutions.

Equipment and Supplies

ACTX markets and sells two principal products: Grow Pods, which are specially modified insulated shipping containers manufactured by GP Solutions Inc., in which plants, herbs and spices may be grown hydroponically in a controlled environment, and Medtainers®, which may be used to store pharmaceuticals, herbs, teas and other solids or liquids and can grind solids and shred herbs. The company also markets and sells various products related to Grow Pods and the Medtainer®, as well as providing private labeling and branding services for purchasers of Medtainers® and certain related products.

GP Solutions manufactures and sells other products, such as humidity controllers and LED lighting systems for vertical farming. The company’s specially designed lighting panels are programmed to emit the exact wavelength of light that each crop requires. The system has a daybreak-to-nightfall feature that gives plants the proper chromatic signals to grow rapidly and fruitfully. High efficiency LED light strips supply the crops with a red and blue light spectrum required for photosynthesis in the spectrum that plants need most.

Market Overview

The global vertical farming market is expected to reach $33.02 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research. The market is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 25.5 percent from 2022 to 2030, according to Grand View. Escalating production of biopharmaceutical products, including cannabis, is anticipated to drive the market. The building-based segment of the market is expected to register a significant CAGR of 27.8 percent over the projected period. In addition, the climate control segment is expected to see high growth.

The global cannabis packaging market is expected to reach $14.34 billion by 2028, according to analysis by Reports and Data. The analysis forecasts 1,700 percent growth in cannabis users by the end of 2026, with packaging likely observing a whopping 26.42 percent growth in the forecast period. There are significant barriers to entry in the cannabis packaging market, giving an advantage to companies already established in the sector. These barriers include developing a thorough knowledge of the myriad regulations that govern cannabis packaging (which differ in each state), and child-resistance requirements.

Management Team

Douglas P. Heldoorn is the Founder and Chairman of Advanced Container Technologies Inc. He also holds the positions of President, CEO and COO at the company. Mr. Heldoorn has served on the Board of Directors since its inception in 2013. He has also previously held the position of Executive General Manager at Nissan Motor Corp.

Jeffory A. Carlson is CFO and Treasurer of ACTX. Mr. Carlson has also served as the company’s Corporate Controller since 2014.

Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX), closed Thursday's trading session at $0.48, even for the day, on 202 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 202 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.2005/$1.87.

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Sharing Services Global Corporation (SHRG)

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

• Accurate, powerful vision, mission and value statements can distinguish companies from their competition

• The inability to agree upon, articulate these key elements can cause serious problems for a company

• Adherence to guiding principles and values serves all in arriving at the most effective and collaborative decisions, notes SHRG

Aligning a company’s vision, mission and values with its culture seems like an obvious thing, but it’s not unusual to have a disconnect between the two, reports a recent Direct Selling News (DSN) article ( https://ibn.fm/GQkuj ). Yet companies with powerful, accurate vision, mission and value statements, such as Sharing Services Global (OTCQB: SHRG) , often distinguish themselves from others operating in the same space.

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

Proprietary Products

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

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

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

Global Network of Elepreneurs

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

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

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

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

Continued Momentum as Industry Leader

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

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

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

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

Preparing for Success

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

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

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

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

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D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS).

D-Wave Quantum Inc. – a global leader in quantum computing software, services, and systems, and the only quantum computing company building both annealing and gate model quantum computers – today announced two key updates to its constrained quadratic model (CQM) hybrid solver in the Leap™ quantum cloud service. The CQM hybrid solver can address real-world commercial-scale optimization problems of up to one million variables (including continuous variables) and 100,000 constraints. With today’s updates, businesses now can further leverage the power of quantum computation to run quadratic optimization problems with weighted constraints and benefit from presolve techniques that streamline and simplify problem formulation. The updated CQM solver allows quantum developers to better represent commercial problems, enabling them to more easily and accurately model problems where it is not possible to satisfy all constraints through classical computing logic. For example, in an employee scheduling scenario where employees should work 8 hours per shift with optional overtime, the solver is now able to allow for a soft “weighted” constraint of <8 hours and a hard constraint of <12 hours, thereby increasing the utility of the proposed solution. Support for weighted constraints enables developers to unlock new use cases as well as expand the applicability of existing use cases across various industries, e.g. energy (electrical grid optimization), logistics (scheduling), shipping (bin packing), and financial services (portfolio optimization), while improving time-to-solution and easing problem formulation.

D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) is a leader in quantum computing systems, software and services focused on delivering customer value via practical quantum applications for problems such as logistics, artificial intelligence, materials sciences, drug discovery, scheduling, fault detection and financial modeling. As the only provider building both annealing and gate-model quantum computers, the company is unlocking commercial use cases in optimization today, while building the technologies that will enable new solutions tomorrow.

D-Wave is a pioneer in quantum computing, with a history of delivering the world’s first commercial quantum computer; the first real-time quantum cloud service; countless hardware and software product and research milestones; and the planned first cross-platform quantum solution which will deliver both annealing and gate-model quantum computers to customers via an integrated platform. Its current commercial product offerings include: Advantage™ (fifth generation quantum computer), Leap™ (quantum cloud service), Launch™ (quantum computing onboarding service) and Ocean™ (full suite of open-source programming tools).

D-Wave’s relentless pursuit of practical quantum computing has resulted in the technology being used today by some of the world’s most advanced enterprises – more than 25 of the Forbes Global 2000 use D-Wave.

D-Wave’s commercial customers include blue-chip industry leaders like Volkswagen, Accenture, BBVA, NEC Corporation, Save-On-Foods, DENSO and Lockheed Martin. The company boasts an extensive IP portfolio featuring more than 200 issued U.S. patents and over 100 peer-reviewed papers published in leading scientific journals.

Founded in 1999, D-Wave is the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers. With headquarters and the Quantum Engineering Center of Excellence based near Vancouver, Canada, D-Wave’s U.S. operations are based in Palo Alto, California.

Advantage™ Quantum Computer

 

With the Advantage™ Quantum Computer, D-Wave has incorporated two decades of experience and over 10 years of customer feedback to create the first and only quantum computer designed for business. The platform features a new processor architecture with over 5,000 qubits and 15-way qubit connectivity. This is 2.5x more connections and more than double the number of qubits than the company’s previous generation quantum computer.

D-Wave’s quantum computers, first located in its facilities in British Columbia, have been available to North American users through its Leap™ quantum cloud service since 2018. It has since introduced new Advantage systems in Julich, Germany, and most recently, Marina Del Rey, California, which marked the availability of the first Advantage quantum computer physically located in the United States.

That new deployment is part of the USC-Lockheed Martin Quantum Computing Center (QCC) hosted at USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), a unit of the University of Southern California’s prestigious Viterbi School of Engineering. Additionally, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and D-Wave announced that the U.S.-based system is available for use in Amazon 2racket, expanding the number to three different D-Wave quantum systems available to AWS users.

Leap Quantum Cloud Service

 

D-Wave’s customers interface with its systems through the Leap™ quantum cloud service. Leap delivers immediate, real-time access to the company’s Advantage quantum computer and quantum hybrid solver service, all with enterprise-class performance and scalability.

Leap allows developers proficient in Python to get started building and running quantum applications. Through a seamless and secure cloud-based connection, users can easily start solving complex problems of up to 1 million variables and 100,000 constraints.

Using Leap, D-Wave customers have developed quantum hybrid applications for use cases in manufacturing, logistics, financial services, life sciences, materials science, retail and transportation. By eliminating the need to wait hours, days or weeks to get good answers to a broad array of problems, D-Wave is helping businesses move forward.

D-Wave Launch

D-Wave Launch™ is the company’s onboarding platform aimed at helping businesses easily start their quantum journey. Through this program, D-Wave’s team of experts and partners aid enterprises in identifying best use cases for quantum and work with them to develop a proof of concept and production pilot.

From there, the team coordinates with customers to get their hybrid quantum applications up and running, providing ongoing Leap quantum cloud access to ensure the application is operating smoothly and delivering real business value.

Target Verticals

While the potential applications for quantum computing are effectively limitless, D-Wave has identified a number of industry verticals as key areas of focus for its quantum architecture, providing case studies for each. These include:

• Manufacturing – D-Wave worked with Volkswagen to identify a commercial optimization application, the binary paint shop problem, which was run on D-Wave’s hybrid solver service. The solver outperformed four purely classical methods on problem sizes at commercial scale (N=3,000). In a separate project, similar inputs were tested using a leading ion trap system, which failed to find any commercial solution.
• Life Sciences – Menten AI makes use of D-Wave quantum computing to assist in the design of novel therapeutic peptides—short strings of amino acids that can act as potent drugs. With the rise of COVID-19, D-Wave’s Advantage system made it possible to identify molecules that might be especially well-suited for binding and inhibiting the related spike protein, producing several promising peptide designs.
• Finance – Multiverse Computing, a leader in developing quantum solutions for the financial sector, leveraged D-Wave’s hybrid solver service in a collaboration with BBVA, one of the world’s largest financial institutions. Multiverse demonstrated management strategies that far exceeded the granularity of traditional returns in a fraction of the time, helping BBVA identify a low-risk portfolio for investment.

Market Opportunity

The quantum computing total addressable market is projected to grow between $450 billion and $850 billion over the next 15 to 30 years, with between $5 billion and $10 billion of anticipated TAM growth coming in the next three to five years, according to Boston Consulting Group. Driving factors behind this growth include rising investments in quantum computing tech by governments and an increasing number of commercial use-cases.

Forward-thinking organizations see quantum as an opportunity to move ahead of the competition. From finding efficiencies and reducing waste to decreasing time to solution and solving problems abandoned due to complexity, the business value is real. According to data from 451 Research, 40% of large enterprises are already experimenting with quantum computing.

D-Wave is strategically positioned – in an industry with significant barriers to entry – as evident by a decades-long track record serving a roster of blue-chip customers. The company is singularly focused on helping its customers achieve clear value by leveraging quantum computing in practical business applications. With a full stack of systems, software, developer tools and services, D-Wave is working to enable enterprises, governments, developers and researchers to access the power of quantum computing, thereby providing an intriguing opportunity for prospective investors.

D-Wave’s current investor base includes PSP Investments, Goldman Sachs, BDC Capital, NEC Corporation, Aegis Group Partners and In-Q-Tel.

Leadership Team

Dr. Alan Baratz has served as the CEO of D-Wave since 2020. Previously, as Executive Vice President of R&D and Chief Product Officer, he drove the development, delivery, and support of all of D-Wave’s products, technologies, and applications. Dr. Baratz has over 25 years of experience in product development and bringing new products to market at leading technology companies and software startups. As the first president of JavaSoft at Sun Microsystems, he oversaw the growth and adoption of the Java platform from its infancy to a robust platform supporting mission-critical applications in nearly 80 percent of Fortune 1000 companies. He has also held executive positions at Symphony, Avaya, Cisco, and IBM. Dr. Baratz holds a doctorate in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

John Markovich is the company’s CFO. He brings to D-Wave over three decades of experience working with rapidly growing private and public technology companies across all stages of development. Mr. Markovich has directed the finance, accounting, tax, treasury, M&A, legal, operations, customer service, IR, HR, and IT functions for companies ranging from privately held pre-revenue startups to an NYSE-listed Fortune 500 multi-national company with over $1.2 billion in annual revenue. During his career, he has negotiated and closed over 150 debt, equity, M&A, and joint venture transactions exceeding $2.5 billion in value; over a dozen private placements; nearly a dozen M&A transactions; and several international joint ventures. Mr. Markovich holds a BS in Business from Miami University and an MBA from the Michigan State Graduate School of Business.

D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS), closed Thursday's trading session at $2.38, off by 5.1793%, on 227,609 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 227,379 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $2.3632/$13.23.

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