Josemaria Resources Inc. (TSX: JOSE) (OTC: JOSMF)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Josemaria Resources Inc. (TSX: JOSE) (OTC: JOSMF).

Josemaria Resources Inc. (TSX: JOSE) (OTC Pink: JOSMF) was featured today in a publication from MiningNewsWire, examining how most experts expect roughly a 1.7% decrease in the total output of gold worldwide this year. This is largely because of mines shutting down, mainly during the second quarter of 2020 because of coronavirus restrictions. A reduction in production levels from nearly all top global producers is also expected in 2020 because of the pandemic and the resulting lockdowns that affected several important markets such as South Africa. Also today, the company was featured in a publication from MiningNewsWire, examining how, on Thursday, Josemaria announced that it has filed a technical report prepared under National Instrument 43-101 Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The report is regarding the company's 100% owned Josemaria Copper-Gold Project, located in San Juan Province, Argentina. To view the full press release, visit http://ibn.fm/zUZPj

Josemaria Resources Inc. (TSX: JOSE) (OTC: JOSMF) is a Canadian natural resources company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company’s current focus is on advancing the development of its wholly owned Josemaria copper-gold mining project.

Josemaria Resources is part of The Lundin Group of companies, a conglomerate of 13 business entities operating in the mining, oil and gas and renewables sectors all around the world.

The Josemaria Copper-Gold Project

The company’s flagship Josemaria Copper-Gold Project is located in the San Juan Province of Argentina – a well-known mining hub supporting a wide variety of mining service companies. The Lundin Group has been active in Argentina for approximately 30 years. Committed to advancing the project, Josemaria Resources has already begun the bridging phase, with basic and detailed engineering planning expected to commence in early 2021.

The company recently announced the results of a feasibility study at the Josemaria Project. The study, prepared by a team of engineering and consulting providers including Fluor Canada Ltd., SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. and Knight Piésold Ltd., highlights a robust, low-risk project with rapid payback expected via an open pit operation with forecast capacity to feed a conventional process plant at a rate of 152,000 tonnes a day over a 19-year mine life.

According to the feasibility study, the project is expected to yield an average annual production of 136,000 tonnes of copper, 231,000 ounces of gold and 1,164,000 ounces of silver. Other highlights of the study include:

• The optimized mining production plan provides average grades in the first three years of production that are notably better than the life-of-mine average. This supports a forecast 3.8-year payback period from the start of production.
• The project’s total initial cost, including engineering, procurement, construction, management, on- and off-site infrastructure, contingency and pre-construction engineering work, amounts to roughly $3.09 billion.
• The location provides readily available access to essential resources, including water, grid power, transportation and logistics infrastructure within San Juan Province.
• An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the project is already underway and is expected to be submitted to relevant authority agencies for review during Q1 2021.

The Josemaria Copper-Gold Project has been designed to incorporate the latest technology. Per the feasibility study, the project will include the use of autonomous trucks and production drill fleets, with the option of incorporating green energy, indicating the company’s commitment to minimizing and mitigating the adverse effects of mining on the environment.

To this end, the company intends to leverage suitable planning, impact assessment and monitoring tools while also incorporating water and energy efficiency systems and ecosystem conservation services in the design and implementation of its operations.

Josemaria Resources President and CEO Adam Lundin welcomed the results of the study as confirming that this is one of the very few readily developable copper-gold projects in the world and forecasting an attractive economic outcome for the asset, comparable with other copper-gold projects in development.

“We believe that Josemaria is perfectly positioned to commence production by mid-decade, meeting rising copper demand from a rapidly electrifying global economy. I believe the study results will allow us to unlock various financing opportunities as we move toward construction,” Lundin said in a news release.

Market Outlook

The global smart mining market was estimated at $6.8 billion in 2019. It is forecast to reach $20.31 billion by 2025. The significant increase is expected to be driven by technological advancements within the sector.

Global demand for copper is also growing steadily, due to the metal’s versatility and multiple uses for industrial, domestic and high-technology indications. The global copper market is expected to reach $222.1 billion by the end of 2026.

Management Team

Adam Lundin is the President, CEO and Director of Josemaria Resources. He has several years of experience in managing capital markets and public companies across the natural resources sector. His background includes oil, gas, mining technology, investment advising, international finances and executive management. Lundin began his career working for several of the Lundin Group mining companies. He is currently engaged in multiple roles, as he is also the Chairman for Filo Mining Corp. and Africa Energy Corp. and a Director of NGEx Minerals Ltd. and the Lundin Foundation.

Ian Gibbs serves as CFO of Josemaria Resources. He is a Canadian Chartered Accountant and a graduate of the University of Calgary, holding a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Gibbs has held many prominent positions within the Lundin Group of companies over the last 15 years, most recently as the CFO of Africa Oil Corp.

Arndt Brettschneider is the company’s Vice President of Projects. He has over 23 years of international mining, consulting and project development experience. Before joining Josemaria Resources, he was Vice President of the mining consulting businesses of two globally recognized engineering companies. Brettschneider obtained a Bachelor of Science with Honors from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. He received his MBA from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.

Bob Carmichael is the company’s Vice President of Exploration. He joined Josemaria Resources from Lundin Mining Corporation’s UK office. In his UK role, he was the General Manager of Resource Exploration. Carmichael is a registered Professional Engineer in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of British Columbia. His dual role includes serving as Vice President of Exploration for Filo Mining Corp. and NGEx Minerals Ltd.

Alfredo Vitaller is Josemaria Resources’ General Manager in Argentina. He has been involved in the mining industry since 1993. He graduated as a Licentiate in Geological Sciences from Buenos Aires University and has an M.Sc. from Mackay School of Mines at the University of Reno. Vitaller has worked with the Lundin Group since 1993 and was a part of the exploration teams for Filo, Helados and Josemaria.

Notable Directors

Ashley Heppenstall, chairman of the Josemaria Resources board of directors, has over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas and resources sectors. From 2002 to 2015, Heppenstall served as the President, CEO and Finance Director of Lundin Petroleum AB, an oil and gas exploration and production company with core assets in Norway and Southeast Asia. He is credited with building Lundin Petroleum into the largest independent oil firm in the world today, leveraging a single equity raise of $50 million to guide Lundin in the design and implementation of a strategy that’s led it to a current market cap of roughly $6 billion.

Ron Hochstein has worked for the Lundin family directly as a consultant for over 20 years and is currently the President and CEO of Lundin Gold, a gold-producing business whose key asset is the Fruta del Norte gold deposit in Ecuador. Hochstein led construction efforts on the first mine in Ecuador, which went into production in 2019 and was completed on time and on budget.

Paul Conibear has been with The Lundin Group for over two decades, including serving as the CEO and Director of Lundin Mining from 2011 through 2018. Lundin Mining’s current market cap is estimated at $3.5 billion. In total, Conibear has more than 35 years of experience in progressively more responsible positions in the resource sector ranging through management of all phases of mine investment, including exploration, economic assessments, construction, operations and closure.

Josemaria Resources Inc. (OTC: JOSMF), closed Friday's trading session at $0.4917, off by 1.719%, on 45,767 volume with 14 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 26,813 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.465299993/$0.685000002.

Recent News

• Covid-19 Containment Measures Expected to Trigger Slump in Gold Supply
• Josemaria Resources Inc. (TSX: JOSE) (OTC: JOSMF) Files Technical Report for Argentina Copper-Gold Project
• Josemaria Resources Files Technical Report for Josemaria Project

Processa Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Processa Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA).

Processa Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA) Face masks, as we have seen, have been effective in filtering out the SARS-CoV-2 virus, thus reducing the risk of a coronavirus infection. A group of scientists from MIT now aim to develop a mask that uses heat to inactivate viruses. These innovative masks will have a built-in, heated copper mesh. When an individual who is wearing the mask breathes in and out, the air flows across the mesh repeatedly, which slows and inactivates any viral particles in the air using high temperatures and the mesh. The researchers state that this mask could be useful for health-care providers as well as people who are in places where social distancing is hard to achieve, such as on crowded buses.

Processa Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA) aims to develop products where existing clinical evidence of efficacy already exists in unmet medical need conditions. In support of this goal, the company has assembled an unparalleled management team, board of directors and product development team featuring experts in developing drug products, from IND-enabling studies to NDA submission. In total, the team’s combined scientific, development and regulatory experience has resulted in more than 30 drug approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and more than 100 meetings with the FDA while working on more than 50 drug development programs, including drug products targeted to orphan disease and unmet medical need conditions.

Headquartered in Hanover, Maryland, Processa has built a pipeline of drugs which already have some proof-of-concept clinical data supporting clinical use in their selected indications.

Development Pipeline

The Processa process focuses on the advancement of drugs that are ready for clinical development or have minimal pre-IND enabling studies to complete. More specifically, Processa:

1. Acquires drugs that already have some clinical data to support the targeted treatment – whether it be the drug itself, an analog of the drug or a drug with similar pharmacological targets;
2. Navigates through the FDA, collaborating with the reviewers to define a complete development program; and
3. Develops each drug over the course of 2-5 years, out-licensing the drug either just prior to pivotal study after Phase 2b or after the completion of the pivotal study.

Processa’s current development pipeline features multiple drug candidates, including PCS499 and PCS100. The company has also announced three additional licensing agreements since June 2020, further bolstering its clinical efforts. Each drug is briefly described below.

PCS6422

On August 27, 2020, Processa announced its entry into a contingent precedent exclusive licensing agreement with Elion Oncology Inc. to develop, manufacture and commercialize eniluracil (PCS6422) globally. PCS6422 is an oral drug to be administered with fluoropyrimidine cancer drugs (e.g., capecitabine, 5-FU) to decrease the breakdown of the cancer drug to inactive metabolites or metabolites that are known to cause unwanted side effects and to increase the anti-cancer related metabolites.

An IND for a Phase 1B study was cleared by the FDA in May 2020. The study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of several dose combinations of PCS6422 and capecitabine in advanced GI tumor patients. Processa intends to enroll the first patient in 1H2021, obtain interim results, and have a final report completed in 2H2022.

“Having worked on 5-FU and other cancer agents in the past, adding PCS6422 to our pipeline and expanding our involvement in oncology was an easy decision given the significant impact that PCS6422 may have on improving the efficacy and safety of capecitabine or other fluoropyrimidines,” CEO Dr. David Young said of the agreement.

PCS499

PCS499 as a potential treatment for necrobiosis lipoidica (“NL”) was first presented to the FDA in a pre-IND meeting in 2018. In 2019, it was the subject of an IND submission and a promising Phase 2 safety study. On March 30, 2020, Processa announced a successful meeting with the FDA regarding the design and execution of the next clinical study to evaluate the ability of PCS499 to completely close ulcers in patients with NL.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the FDA meeting and the feedback we received from the FDA. We believe that the results from our completed Phase 2 trial in NL patients, especially those with more severe ulcerated forms of NL, are encouraging and we appreciate the guidance provided by the FDA regarding our next clinical trial and the requirements to support our NDA submission,” Dr. David Young, CEO of Processa, stated in the news release.

NL is a chronic, disfiguring condition affecting the skin and tissue under the skin, typically on the lower extremities, with no currently FDA-approved treatments. More severe complications can occur, such as deep tissue infections and osteonecrosis, threatening the life of the limb. Approximately 22,500 – 55,500 people in the United States and more than 150,000 – 400,000 people worldwide are affected by the ulcerated form of NL.

YH12852

On August 20, 2020, Processa announced its entry into an agreement with Yuhan Corporation, a South Korean firm, to license YH12852, a small molecule drug in development for the treatment of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, Processa will acquire the rights to a portfolio of patents with an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize YH12852 globally, excluding South Korea.

YH12852 is a novel, potent and highly selective 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 (5-HT4) receptor agonist. Other 5-HT receptor agonists with less 5-HT4 selectivity have been shown to successfully treat GI mobility disorders such as chronic constipation, constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis. The less selective 5-HT4 agonists, such as cisapride, have been removed from the market because of the cardiovascular side effects associated with the drugs binding to other receptors, especially 5-HT receptors other than 5-HT4.

CEO Dr. David Young called the agreement “further evidence of Processa’s commitment to seek out novel treatments for unmet medical conditions.” Processa intends to meet with the FDA in early 2021 to further define the clinical development program. In 2021, Processa expects to initiate a Phase 2 trial in a functional GI motility-related disorder that that needs better therapeutic options, such as postoperative ileus and opioid-induced constipation.

ATT-11T

On June 1, 2020, Processa announced its entry into a licensing agreement with Aposense Ltd. for the patent rights and know-how to develop and commercialize ATT-11T, a next generation irinotecan cancer drug. In the release, CEO Dr. David Young noted that the licensing deal fit with Processa’s strategy to “continue to bring innovative products to patients with an unmet medical need condition.”

ATT-11T is a novel lipophilic anti-cancer pro-drug that is being developed for the treatment of the same solid tumors as prescribed for irinotecan. This pro-drug is a conjugate of a specific proprietary Aposense molecule connected to SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan. The proprietary Aposense molecule on ATT-11T allows ATT-11T to bind to cell membranes to form an inactive pro-drug depot on the cell, with SN-38 preferentially accumulating in the membrane of tumors cells and the tumor core. This unique characteristic is expected to make the therapeutic window of ATT-11T wider than irinotecan, such that the anti-tumor effect of ATT-11T will occur at a much lower dose than irinotecan with a milder adverse effect profile than irinotecan. The wider therapeutic window will likely lead to more patients responding with less side effects when on ATT-11T compared to irinotecan.

The ATT-11T licensing agreement is conditioned upon Processa’s closing of a satisfactory financing round and the listing of the company’s shares on the Nasdaq or NYSE, among other conditions.

PCS100

On September 3, 2020, Processa announced its entry into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Akashi Therapeutics to develop and commercialization Akashi’s lead drug, HT-100. Rebranded PCS100, the candidate is an anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory drug demonstrated to have some clinical anti-fibrotic effect in children. Processa intends to develop PCS100 first in rare adult fibrotic related diseases such as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or Scleroderma, where there are still few therapeutic options.

Management Team

David Young, Pharm.D., Ph.D. is the CEO and founder of Processa. He has over 30 years of pharmaceutical research, drug development and corporate experience. Young has served in leadership roles with a number of pharmaceutical firms throughout his career, including serving as founder and CEO of Promet Therapeutics LLC since 2015 and as Chief Scientific Officer of Questcor Pharmaceuticals from 2009 to 2014. At Questcor, he was responsible for working with the FDA on modernizing the Acthar Gel label and for obtaining FDA approval in infantile spasms. In total, Young has met with the FDA more than 100 times on more than 50 drug products and has been a key team member on more than 30 NDA/supplemental NDA approvals.

Sian Bigora, Pharm.D., is Processa’s Chief Development Officer and founder. She has over 20 years of pharmaceutical research, regulatory strategy and drug development experience, working closely with Young. Prior to joining Processa, Bigora served as Co-Founder, Director and Chief Development Officer at Promet Therapeutics LLC and as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Questcor Pharmaceuticals from 2009 to 2015, where she led efforts to modernize the Acthar Gel label and obtain FDA approval in infantile spasms – events which were of material importance to Questcor’s subsequent success.

Patrick Lin is Chief Business & Strategy Officer and founder of Processa. He has over 20 years of financing and investing experience in the biopharma sector. Prior to joining Processa, Lin served as Co-Founder and Chairman of Promet Therapeutics LLC. He is also founder and managing partner of Primarius Capital, a family office that manages public and private investments focused on small capitalization companies.

James Stanker has served as CFO of Processa since 2018. He has over 30 years of financial and executive leadership experience in the areas of accounting principles and audit standards, regulatory reporting, and fiscal management and strategy. He served in a financial leadership role as an audit partner at Grant Thornton from February 2000 until his retirement in August 2016, where he was responsible for managing audit quality in the Atlantic Coast market territory.

Wendy Guy is the Chief Administrative Officer and founder of Processa. She has more than two decades of experience in business operations, having worked closely with Young over the last 18 years in corporate management and operations, HR and finance. Prior to joining Processa, she was Co-Founder, Director and Chief Administrative Officer of Promet Therapeutics LLC and Senior Manager, Business Operation over the Maryland office for Questcor Pharmaceuticals.

Processa Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA), closed Friday's trading session at $4.26, up 0.235294%, on 13,213 volume with 86 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 28,509 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $3.40000009/$18.00.

Recent News

• Engineers Develop Heated Face Mask to Kill COVID-19
• Processa Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA) Announces Board Appointment of Dr. Khalid Islam
• Processa Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PCSA) to Host Call, Live Webcast to Discuss Q3 2020 Results, Clinical Pipeline

Sugarmade, Inc. (SGMD)

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

Sugarmade Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD) was featured today in the 420 with CNW by CannabisNewsWire. Although quite young, the market for cannabinoid-infused products is swiftly growing. Consumers have especially taken a liking to gummies infused with cannabidiol (“CBD”) and THC, the most prominent cannabinoids. According to Google, CBD gummies were the third most searched food by Americans in 2018. All in all, the global market for CBD gummies is expected to register a compound annual growth rate of 31.9% by 2025.

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

The Coronavirus Cannabis Boom Market

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

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

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

Sugarmade Growth Strategy

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

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

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

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

 

Diversified Portfolio

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

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

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

Market Opportunity

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

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

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

Management

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

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

Sugarmade, Inc. (SGMD), closed Friday's trading session at $0.0018, up 12.50%, on 32,531,646 volume with 256 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 37,988,339 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.001249999/$0.0185.

Recent News

• 420 with CNW - 5 Mistakes You Should Avoid While Making Cannabis Gummies
• Sugarmade Inc. (SGMD) Undertakes Marketing Analysis Ahead of Planned BudCars Expansion
• Sugarmade Inc. (SGMD) Issues Letter to Shareholders on Upcoming Expansion Steps

CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP).

CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) was featured today in a publication from BioMedWire, examining how in order to eliminate tumors while strengthening a cancer patient’s immune system, health providers administer cancer immunotherapies to patients. Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the treatment of cancer as many patients respond very well to these treatments, with some actually experiencing a long-lasting remission. However, some types of cancer aren’t as easy to treat with this method, which is why enlarging the effect of this approach remains a high priority.

CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) is a clinical stage biotechnology company specializing in the development of novel treatments for primary and metastatic cancers of the brain and central nervous system.

The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Organ Targeted Therapeutics

The company’s lead drug candidate, Berubicin, is proposed for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (“GBM”), an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. Berubicin also has potential to treat other central nervous system malignancies. Based on limited clinical data, Berubicin appears to be the first anthracycline to cross the blood brain barrier in the adult brain, and it was the subject of a successful Phase 1 study which found the MDT and produced efficacy data as well.

CNS holds a worldwide exclusive license to the Berubicin chemical compound. The company has acquired all requisite data and know-how from Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc. related to a completed Phase I clinical trial of Berubicin in malignant brain tumors. In this trial, 44% of patients experienced a statistically significant improvement in clinical benefit. In 2017, CNS entered into a collaboration and asset purchase agreement with Reata.

CNS intends to explore the potential of Berubicin to treat other diseases, including pancreatic and ovarian cancers and lymphoma. The company is also examining plans to develop combination therapies that include Berubicin.

CNS estimates that more than $25 million in private capital and grants were invested in Berubicin prior to the company’s $9.8 million IPO in November 2019.

CNS intends to submit an IND for Berubicin during the fourth quarter of 2020 and expects to commence a Phase II clinical trial of Berubicin for the treatment of GBM in the U.S. in Q1 2021. A sub-licensee partner was awarded a $6 million EU/Polish National Center for Research and Development grant to undertake a Phase II trial of Berubicin in adults and a first-ever Phase I trial in pediatric GBM patients in Poland in 2021.

The company’s second drug candidate, WP1244, is a novel DNA binding agent licensed from the MD Anderson Cancer Center. In preclinical studies, WP1244 proved to be 500-times more potent than the chemotherapeutic agent, daunorubicin, in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation. The company has entered into a sponsored research agreement with the MD Anderson Cancer Center to further the development of WP1244.

CNS Pharmaceuticals recently engaged U.S.-based Pharmaceutics International Inc. and Italian BSP Pharmaceuticals SpA for the production of the Berubicin drug product. The company has implemented a dual-track manufacturing strategy to mitigate COVID-19-related risks, diversify its supply chain and provide for localized availability of Berubicin. CNS has already completed synthesis of Berubicin’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and has shipped the API to both manufacturers in order to prepare an injectable form of Berubicin for clinical use.

Global Brain Tumor Therapeutics Market

The high recurrence rate of malignant brain tumors is due to reappearance of focal masses, indicating that a sub-population of tumor cells in these cancers may be insensitive to current therapies and may be responsible for reinitiating tumor growth. This necessitates the development of newer drugs in the market that demonstrate greater efficacy in treating such aggressive cancers.

A global increase in neurological disorders has placed increased attention on cancers of the brain over the past decade. Neurological disorders are becoming one of the most prevalent types of disorders, due to longer life expectancy, greater exposure to infection and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Because few treatments for primary and metastatic cancers of the brain exist, costs are high and have acted as a restraint for the brain tumor therapeutics market.

Despite progress in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapeutic strategies, effective treatments for brain cancer are limited by a lack of specific therapies for the brain and the difficulty in transporting therapeutic compounds across the blood brain barrier. Therefore, there is a significant need for novel and effective therapeutic drugs and strategies that prolong survival and improve quality of life for brain tumor patients.

Several companies are making significant investments into R&D, which is expected to bring more treatment options to the market in the near future. Industry reports consistently project continued growth in the market.

One report estimates that the global brain tumor therapeutics market will reach a valuation of $2.74 billion in 2023, with the market expected to register a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2023. Another report projects that the global brain tumor therapeutics market will reach $3.4 billion by 2025, up from $2.25 billion in 2019 (http://nnw.fm/eDUjp).

Management Team

John M. Climaco is the CEO of CNS Pharmaceuticals. For 15 years, Climaco has served in leadership roles for a variety of health care companies. Recently, Climaco served as the Executive Vice President of Perma-Fix Medical S.A, where he managed the development of a novel method to produce Technitium-99. Climaco also served as President and CEO of Axial Biotech Inc., a DNA diagnostics company. In the process of taking Axial from inception to product development to commercialization, Climaco forged strategic partnerships with Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson and Smith & Nephew.

Christopher Downs, CPA, is the company’s Chief Financial Officer. Downs previously served as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of InfuSystem Holdings Inc. (NYSE: INFU), a supplier of infusion services to oncologists in the United States. Downs holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point, an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Dr. Donald Picker is the Chief Scientific Officer of CNS. Picker has over 35 years of drug development experience. Prior to joining CNS, Picker worked at Johnson Matthey, where he was responsible for the development of Carboplatin, one of the world’s leading cancer drugs, which was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb with annual sales of over $500 million. In addition, he oversaw the development of Satraplatin and Picoplatin, third-generation platinum drugs currently in late-stage clinical development.

Sandra L. Silberman, M.D., Ph.D., is the Chief Medical Officer of CNS Pharmaceuticals. Silberman is a hematologist/oncologist who earned her B.A., Sc.M. and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences, School of Public Health and School of Medicine, respectively, and her M.D. from Cornell University Medical College. She then completed both a clinical fellowship in hematology/oncology and a research fellowship in tumor immunology at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Silberman has played key roles in the development of many drugs, including Gleevec(TM), for which she led the global clinical development at Novartis. Silberman advanced several original, proprietary compounds into Phases I through III during her work with leading biopharmaceutical companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Imclone and Roche.

CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP), closed Friday's trading session at $2.16, up 17.3913%, on 207,463 volume with 742 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 86,487 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.25820004/$5.68989992.

Recent News

• New Drug May Boost Cancer Patients' Response to Immunotherapy Treatments
• Researchers Can Predict Whether Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Will Respond to Treatment
• CNS Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CNSP) Announces Completion of Drug Manufacturing for Brain Cancer Trial

Rritual Mushrooms Inc.

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Rritual Mushrooms Inc..

Lifestyle therapeutics innovator Rritual Mushrooms gained recognition for its development of attractive marketing and its growing market presence at the 2020 annual ECRM Buyer’s Choice Awards. The awards spotlight Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing, and Rritual Mushrooms achieved second place in the Whole Body & Mind Wellness category, which was voted on by wellness product buyers from national retail outlets in a virtual event last month (https://ibn.fm/xEIAx).

Rritual Mushrooms Inc. is a private company founded in 2019, whose declared purpose is to help people meet the demands of modern life with style and ease by incorporating functional mushrooms, adaptogens and superfoods into their diets.

The company manufactures premium plant-based products such as small-batch elixir powders, and each product features mindfully selected medicinal mushrooms and adaptogenic herbs. Pursuing customers with various need-states, Rritual offers products that fit every lifestyle.

Suite of Premium Rritual(TM) Products

Rritual recently announced the launch of its suite of premium functional mushroom and adaptogenic elixirs. These elixirs were developed by a leading team of scientists, doctors and experts across the wellness industry, under the guidance of Rritual President Dr. Mike Hart.

The initial product line includes:

• Chaga (immune booster) – Full of bioactive polysaccharides, Rritual’s Chaga blend combines the Chaga mushroom with Eleuthero root for optimal immune system benefits.
• Lion’s Mane (brain booster) – Designed to support cognitive function and brain health, Lion’s Mane is paired with Rhodiola root. The elixir can also help the body manage stress.
• Reishi (stress support) – Rich in polysaccharides, triterpenes, amino acids and fatty acids, the Reishi blend is infused with Ashwagandha root. This combination aims to help the body and mind fight anxiety, with long term effects that may improve quality of sleep for those with restless minds.

“The health and wellness benefits of mushrooms and plant-based therapies are backed by decades of scientific research. Rritual’s new line of elixirs embraces that research and provides consumers with an easy way to get a daily dose of the powerful effects,” Hart said in a news release.

Rritual CEO David Kerbel noted that the company is proud to bring together age-old mushroom consumption practices and data-backed research to create new formulas that meet the needs of modern consumers. “Whether to relieve stress, increase mental output or boost immunity, we want to be a trusted and effective component of a consumer’s daily health and wellness routine,” he added.

Rritual Timeline

According to its investor presentation, Rritual has already fulfilled most of the milestones it set for Q1 and Q2 2020 as part of its growth and development timeline. So far, the company has completed formulation R&D, product line development, test marketing, brand development, logistics partnerships and agreements, initial distributor partnerships, seed financing and the phase one launch of its product suite.

Rritual E-Commerce Rollout Strategy

The company’s strategy for e-commerce rollout success consists of direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales through the use of multiple online platforms and through team connections to facilitate rapid expansion within the market.

In the first stage, Rritual will use its own website and Amazon to facilitate its D2C initiative, followed by leveraging its team connections to sell products through planned specialty e-commerce channels such as Costco, CVS, Walmart, and Vitacost using preexisting relationships.

Brick-and-Mortar Rollout Strategy

Using partnerships already in place with The Jet Collective and leveraging the preexisting connections of its team for direct discussions with global retail brands, Rritual’s brick-and-mortar strategy features a two-stage rollout that targets 15 leading retailers.

In the first stage, Rritual aims to launch with four non-competing chains, while utilizing best practice agreements (320 Sprouts stores, 330 H-E-B stores, 240 Meijer stores and 1,600 Publix stores). In stage 2, distribution is expected to advance to additional retail establishments (100 Wegmans stores, 77 Fresh Thyme stores, 440 Whole Foods stores, 120 Shaw’s stores, 400 Stop & Shop stores, 300 Wakefern/Shoprite stores, 610 Vitamin Shoppe stores, 90 Bartell Drug stores, 40 Giant Eagle market district stores and 1,800 Target stores), while collaboration with Kroger will take place within two sub-markets (300 Ralphs stores and 120 Harris Teeter stores).

Market Growth Outlook

As it is yet in its early stages, the functional mushrooms market is rife with opportunities for growth. At this time, no dominant brand is in place, and there remains an absence of a premium brand to lead the category.

The entire functional food market is currently valued at more than $275 billion, with global shifts supporting wellness and a 7.9% CAGR forecast through 2025. Demand for functional mushrooms is also growing, with a forecast rise from $23 billion to $34 billion by 2024 as a result of growing popularity due to the superfood’s unique properties that have been shown to boost immunity, cognitive function and more. The worldwide functional mushroom market is projected to exceed $50 billion by 2025, with recent data indicating an increase in demand for key mushroom varieties of up to 800%.

Management Team

David Kerbel, CPC, is CEO of Rritual and has over 30 years of senior experience in retail, brokerage and CPG industries. From 2008 to 2011, Kerbel served as Senior Vice President of Sales for Celsius Holdings Inc., helping that company achieve a number of important milestones. During his tenure, Celsius grew its retail sales from $400,000 to a multimillion-dollar figure, developed nationwide representation with CROSSMARK Inc. and established distribution with industry giants such as 7-Eleven, Ralph’s, C&S, Costco, BJ’s Wholesale, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Rite Aid, Target, Duane Reade and Stop & Shop. In total, Celsius’ new distribution stemming from Kerbel’s direct efforts led to $36 million in incremental sales in 2010 alone. He also implemented new procedures that led to a 10 percent reduction in operating expenses. Kerbel brings tremendous experience to the Rritual team, as well as vital relationships with industry leaders such as Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, 7-Eleven, Safeway, Publix, Sprouts and more.

Warren Spence is the COO and a Director of Rritual. He has over 25 years in the food and beverage industry. His roles within the industry have included senior positions with brands like Red Bull and Olivieri. His specialization is in supply chain and operations systems. He was appointed Head of Supply Chain for Nude Beverages in 2019.

Dr. Mike Hart, MD, is the President of Rritual. His work has been published in peer-review journals about therapies involving cannabis and ketamine. His outspoken stance on these subjects landed him an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast in 2019. On-air, he discussed the use of psychedelic medicines as a treatment for mental health conditions, including PTSD.

Stacie Gillespie is CCO and Director of Formulations for Rritual. She has over 25 years of leadership in the branding and product strategies used by wellness companies. She has leveraged this expertise for companies such as Aura Cacia, MegaFood and Gaia Herbs. She is the creator of multiple award-winning consumer health products.

Sarton Molnar-Fenton is Vice President of Sales-USA for Rritual. She started her career with Vitamin Water, with other large companies under her belt, including Danone, as a District Manager. She worked with Nestle on its Tribe Hummus brand and played an integral part in relaunching the brand, gaining category share and establishing product development partnerships with companies like Trader Joe’s. She also played a key role in launching the Hydralyte brand in the United States.

Scott Naccarrato is the company’s Vice President of Sales-Canada. He is experienced in sales with a deep connection in retail. Recently, he worked with Nutiva, assisting in the pioneering of Organic MCT oil, healthy fats and the plant-based protein categories. He is data-oriented in his approach, which has resulted in over $100 million in sales and double-digit year-over-year growth for the brands of which he has been a part.

Investment Considerations

• Rritual’s suite of premium functional mushroom and adaptogenic elixirs is designed to offer various health benefits, such as increased immunity, cognitive function, stress management and more.
• The company’s products are expected to be available online through Rritual’s site and Amazon by fall 2020.
• The Rritual team has extensive ties and influential relationships with leading retail businesses, providing a wide market for growth.
• The functional mushroom industry has no clear and dominant leader, allowing Rritual to target this role with its premium products. Rritual is currently the only premium brand on the market.
• The global functional mushroom market is expected to exceed $50 billion by 2025, putting Rritual in the position for success.
• Functional mushroom demand is expected to rise from $23 billion to $34 billion by 2024.

Recent News

• Rritual Mushrooms, Inc. Is Increasing Awareness of Medicinal Mushrooms and Adaptogenic Herbs
• Rritual Mushrooms Inc. Recognized at ECRM’s Whole Body & Mind Wellness Program
• Rritual Mushrooms Inc.’s New Line of Elixirs Provides ‘Daily Dose’ with Powerful Benefits

Cybin Corp.

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Cybin Corp..

CYBIN (formerly Clarmin Explorations Inc.), a life sciences company initially focused on psychedelic pharmaceutical therapies, on Thursday announced it has completed its previously disclosed reverse takeover of Clarmin Explorations Inc. per the terms of an amalgamation agreement dated June 26, 2020, as amended on October 21, 2020. The agreement was among Cybin Corp., Clarmin and 2762898 Ontario Inc. (“SubCo”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company (the “reverse takeover”), in which the reverse takeover was completed by way of a “three-cornered” amalgamation pursuant to the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/vLDVj

Cybin Corp. 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.

Recent News

• CYBIN Inc. Completes Reverse Takeover Transaction
• Cybin Corp. Paves Path to Profitability with Health-Care Veteran at the Helm
• Cybin Corp. Appoints New CEO with Impressive Health-Care Expertise

Mobius Interactive Ltd.

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Mobius Interactive Ltd..

Mobius Interactive is an online gaming operator featuring various unique offerings catering to diverse demographic groups. In partnership with Ultra Play, a leading and award-winning eSports and iGaming platform, the company seeks to attract a network of high net-worth gamers from around the world. Mobius.Bet is the company’s dedicated eSports hub catering to the growing eSports segment. By the end of 2021, the sector will reach 2.7 billion gamers playing worldwide, according to Mobius CEO Lynn Pearce, in a recent “Infinity Gaming” article (https://ibn.fm/7b0Y8).

Mobius Interactive Ltd. is an online gaming operator launching in September 2020 with a variety of unique offerings catering to diverse demographic groups. In partnership with Ultra Play, a leading eSports and iGaming platform, Mobius Interactive is seeking to attract a network of high-net-worth gamers from around the world through the use of loyalty and gamification programs designed to enhance customer engagement by leveraging state-of-the-art customer relationship management systems and joint-ventures with over 600 VIP and Master gaming affiliates.

Array of Brands

Mobius Interactive is seeking to target a variety of customer segments and geographies through its diverse brand offerings, including:

• Aragon Casino: Austria, Finland, the Balkans, Canada, Africa and New Zealand
  Catering to consumers aged 21 to 45, Aragon Casino brands itself along the lines of medieval fantasy, mimicking elements from the likes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.
• Club Double: Austria, India, Brazil, Finland, Canada, Africa and New Zealand
  Targeting the 30 to 65 age demographic, Club Double is designed to exude a classic yet magical old Hollywood and vintage Miami & Las Vegas air.
• MobiusBet: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Brazil, Latin America, New Zealand and India
  MobiusBet is designed to appeal to the 18- to 38-year-old eSports community, bringing together loyalty programs, targeted gamification and product merchandising in one seamless package.

Key Differentiating Indicators

Mobius Interactive has designed its platform with a number of key differentiation traits relative to its target market. These include:

• The use of affiliates: Mobius Interactive has partnered with over 600 VIP and Master gaming affiliates, who will introduce high-value players to the company’s award-winning iGaming platform. Mobius added over 150 proven affiliates in Europe, Brazil, Finland and New Zealand over a period of just 20 days.
• eSports Focus: Mobius.Bet, Mobius Interactive’s dedicated eSports hub, will cater to the quickly growing eSports segment, which is expected to rise to a value of $1.7 billion in 2021. With Mobius’ COO being one of the original founders of the eSports.com brand, the company aims to capitalize on this growing segment of the gaming industry.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Mobius has partnered with Solitics, a new and real-time CRM system, enabling the company to personalize customers’ gaming experiences in an interactive and highly intelligent manner.
• Loyalty & Gamification: Mobius Interactive is set to introduce a unique loyalty and gamification program designed to increase customer engagement from signup. Loyalty and gamification programs have been proven to increase daily active wagering volumes by 30% while simultaneously increasing daily player activity by 60%. Furthermore, the introduction of these programs can help lower the company’s customer acquisition costs while adding a differentiating element to its platform.

Partnership with Puurl

Puurl provides a solution that embeds eGaming platforms into any existing online e-commerce store. First, shoppers can install the Puurl add-on to their browsers. Then, when visiting their preferred e-commerce stores, players will be prompted to bet, with the potential to win the products they’re browsing. The Puurl solution enables e-commerce operators and eGaming platforms to earn additional gambling revenues – even when their players are shopping. Through its partnership with Puurl, Mobius Interactive will look to add a unique revenue stream to complement its core business operations.

Management Team

Lynn Pearce, CEO, is an experienced, data-driven, commercially focused, strategic brand marketer with over 15 years of proven success in the global gaming industry, from land-based casinos in the UK to online gaming companies offering sports betting, poker and casino games. She was head-hunted to join a startup in Prague that launched 26 casinos, becoming profitable within the first three months of operation, before she relocated to Malta to join a leading B2B casino software development company as head of marketing, where she led global marketing, PR, product development, branding and go-to-market campaigns, retaining full control of a six-month budget of €1 million to increase brand awareness and customer engagement. She recently returned to the B2C side of gaming to launch three new brands in Germany, Brazil and India. She writes articles regularly for Infinity Gaming Magazine and has been a judge for the prestigious International Gaming Awards, a significant event for the gaming industry held each year prior to the largest gaming exhibition of the year, ICE London.

Robin Lawson, Vice President & COO, has been involved in iGaming for over 10 years, successfully founding two VIP casino departments across international locations in Latin America, as well as startup company Tabella in Europe. He most recently co-founded and acted as COO for eSports.com, which raised over $5.5 million as a startup ICO and was sold to German media giant ProSieben. Lawson is also a senior iGaming consultant for startup casino groups and an advisor to blockchain-based tech groups. His long-time experience and proven track record in startup organizations demonstrate his operational leadership skills.

Nicholas de Freitas, Vice President, Marketing, is one of the pioneers of digital stills photography for major retail companies in Africa and Australia. He left to start up UrbanActive, an outsourcing agency, working as marketing project manager and implementing major retail projects. He received his certification in digital marketing from the University of Stellenbosch. He has worked over the past few years as the marketing manager for various poker rooms and casinos, liaising and building relationships with software developers, successfully implementing a number of casino and poker products and holding regular weekly report sessions with the heads of all divisions of the company, spanning South Africa, Canada, Malta, Norway and Costa Rica.

Gary Eldridge, Chairman, is an experienced entrepreneur with a history of working in the venture capital and private equity industry. He is skilled in capital markets, M&A and funding startups and is a strong business development professional. For the past 30 years, he has created and managed numerous public and private companies in Canada, the U.S., Amsterdam, London, Zurich, Dusseldorf, Singapore and Panama. In addition to holding the role of chairman of the company, Eldridge is acting as a mentor to the team, assisting with the financials and structure of the company while allowing the team to be fully focused on Mobius’ growth and operations.

Recent News

• Mobius Interactive Ltd. & the Future of eSports
• Mobius Interactive Ltd. to Thrive Amid Growing Investor Interest; Now is Time to Invest, PwC States
• Mobius Interactive Ltd. Enters ‘Well-Timed Collaboration’ with AffPapa

Friendable Inc. (FDBL)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Friendable Inc. (FDBL).

Livestreaming concerts are a creative byproduct of the global pandemic, a modern-day solution to the heartbreaking cancellation of live performances and concerts. A new Music 360 report by MRC Data, however, suggests that almost half of music fans want virtual concerts to continue, even after COVID-19 restrictions are eased (https://ibn.fm/CUjyX). That’s music to the ears of Friendable (OTC: FDBL), which just wrapped its first-ever livestreaming Halloween concert, which featured artists S-mack (x2), Mamd, R.T.A and Ball Hog Beats.

Friendable Inc. (FDBL) is a mobile technology and marketing company focused on connecting and engaging users through its proprietary mobile and desktop applications. Launched July 24, 2020, the company’s flagship offering is designed to help artists engage with their fans around the world and earn revenue while doing so. The livestreaming platform supports artists at all levels, providing exclusive artist content ‘Channels’, LIVE event streaming, promotional support, fan subscriptions and custom merchandise designs, all of which serve as revenue streams for each artist.

With Fan Pass, artists can offer exclusive content channels to their fans, who can use their smartphones to gain access to their favorite artists, as well as an all-access pass to all artists on the platform. Additionally, the Fan Pass team will deploy social broadcasters to capture exclusive VIP experiences, interviews and behind-the-scenes content featuring their favorite artists – all available to fan subscribers on a free trial basis. Subscriptions are billed monthly at $3.99, or about the cost of downloading a couple of songs, and VIP experiences are available at a fraction of the cost of traditional face-to-face meetups.

Friendable Inc. was founded by Robert A. Rositano Jr. and Dean Rositano, two brothers with over 27 years of experience working together on technology-related ventures.

The Fan Pass Mobile & Desktop App

Friendable Inc. launched its Fan Pass platform as a solution for artists and their fans as the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated shutdown have continued to severely hamstring the entertainment industry as a whole. Through Fan Pass, the company aims to reach artists at all levels looking to alter their touring schedules to include ‘Virtual Touring’, new revenue sources and innovative fan engagement opportunities that are expected to become permanent fixtures of artists’ touring routines moving forward.

Fan Pass creates an ecosystem that embraces fans of all kinds, feeding diehard followers and developing lasting connections with more casual supporters. Through the app, qualified artists are provided with a custom designed, exclusive ’Fan Pass Channel’ where they can invite fans and social followers from anywhere around the world to join in chats and live events – allowing fans to experience all there is to see of an artist in one place. Artists earn revenue from monthly fan subscribers, merchandise sales, tickets sold for virtual streaming events and generally from all content views or impressions on their channels. All content views and sales of every kind are reported to each artist through their dashboards, including real-time payout and earnings information.

Fan Pass’ exclusive ‘All Access VIP’ option provides fans with access to content, such as:

• Live performances or online concerts
• Backstage meetups before, during or after events
• Livestreams of studio sessions
• Behind-the-scenes footage of music video and photo shoots
• Special interviews and one-on-one videos
• Streams highlighting the artists’ daily lives

The Fan Pass platform is extremely intuitive, bringing each artist through a streamlined onboarding process, including building out artist ‘Channels’, scheduling LIVE events and designing special edition merchandise to be offered solely through exclusive Fan Pass merchandise stores.

“With the global pandemic disrupting the entertainment industry in such a profound way, artists have had to look to digital distribution and live virtual performances in order to maintain any earning opportunities. Fan Pass and our team are determined to provide solutions and support to all artists, their fans and the industry in general. We are excited about the opportunity we have to shape the future of virtual entertainment, revenue generation and artist/fan engagement,” Robert A. Rositano Jr., CEO of Friendable Inc., stated in a news release.

Market Opportunity

Artists rely heavily on revenue streams that are not often seen by those without intimate industry knowledge. When it comes to traditional performances, the sale of VIP/backstage or meet & greet passes to boost revenue can often become the majority of the artist’s annual tour revenue. Data provided by one of the company’s original entertainment partners, The Kluger Agency (TKA), suggests that as much as 18-23% of artists’ annual tour revenue has historically been derived from these VIP experiences.

The World Economic Forum reports that, in 2020, the six-month-plus disappearance of live music concerts is estimated to have cost “the industry more than $10 billion in sponsorships,” and individual artists are feeling the loss the most. Fan Pass is helping to bridge this gap, providing more affordable virtual VIP experiences that can be offered simultaneously to fans around the world.

While it’s free for artists to join, Fan Pass leverages a monthly subscription model paid by fans to generate revenues. These revenues are shared with all channel artists. In exchange for its platform features, live streaming tools, bandwidth, processing and handling, Fan Pass earns platform fees on each separately ticketed event, as well as splits with each artist on subscriber fees and merchandise designed and sold on the platform.

The U.S. video streaming industry is expected to hit $7.08 billion in value in 2021, with an estimated 100 million internet users watching online video content every day, according to data from Livestream.com. The same report suggests that 45% of live video audiences would pay for exclusive, on-demand video from a favorite team, speaker or performer. Through Fan Pass, Friendable Inc. is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity.

Friendable App

The company’s second application, Friendable, is an all-inclusive platform where users can meet, chat and date. The app has exceeded 1.5 million total downloads, with over 900,000 historical registered users and more than 580,000 historical user profiles.

Friendable Inc.’s Next Phase of Growth

To facilitate its next phase of growth, Friendable Inc. is seeking an additional $1 million in equity investment, with a follow-on funding that meets or exceeds $5 million. The company intends to utilize its relationships to secure the lowest cost of capital available, as these funds will drive technology advancements, increase head count, fund marketing initiatives and secure additional celebrity talent aimed at bringing larger fan audiences to each released event. These initiatives will assist in building recurring monthly (fan) subscribers, effectively generating recurring monthly revenue for each artist, as well. The next phase of growth is expected to play a key role in accelerating the company’s download and conversion of data for subscription revenue and merchandise sales.

The company’s primary goal is to establish Fan Pass as a premier brand and mobile platform dedicated to connecting and engaging users around the world. In support of this goal, it has entered into a partnership with Brightcove targeting OTT platform expansion, including leaders such as iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku and WWW.

In the highly competitive video streaming market, Friendable Inc. has tapped into an unmet demand from today’s ever-present ‘omni-users’ for constant contact with celebrities and influencers. Via Fan Pass, the company offers investors an opportunity to gain a stake in an organization catering to this new breed of omni-users and their influencers.

The application’s potential is clearly illustrated by the interest it has generated in recent weeks. From September 4 to October 12, the Fan Pass platform added 246 new artists, accounting for a 410 percent increase in just six weeks.

“We are extremely encouraged by the ongoing swell of interest as the value of our Fan Pass platform continues to resonate in the artist community,” Friendable CEO Robert A. Rositano Jr. stated in a news release. “We believe the live streaming functionality, our full-circle offering and diverse revenue opportunities the platform offers will continue to drive exponential growth as management remains focused on building long-term shareholder value.”

Management Team

Robert A. Rositano Jr. is the co-founder and CEO of Friendable Inc. He oversees the daily management and operational duties of all areas of the business. He has over 20 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, bringing in over $60 million in liquidity events for the companies he has created or managed. Before starting Friendable Inc. with his brother, Rositano was a founding member of the internet’s first IPO, Netcom Online Communications Inc. It was sold to ICG, then to EarthLink in 1995. He has been a co-founder of several successful ventures, including Simply Internet Inc., Nettaxi.com and America’s Biggest Inc., among others. He also authored one of the first web directories for MacMillan Publishers.

Dean Rositano is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Friendable Inc. He handles the day-to-day operations and guides the technical direction of the company. He has over 15 years of executive management, financial management, high technology operations and internet architecture experience. Before co-founding Friendable Inc., Rositano co-founded several other companies, including Checkmate Mobile Inc. and Latitude Venture Partners LLC, among others.

Friendable Inc. (FDBL), closed Friday's trading session at $0.0195, off by 2.50%, on 29,540 volume with 12 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 210,965 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.01575/$0.50999999.

Recent News

• Friendable Inc. (FDBL) First-Ever Halloween Livestream Event Features Four Stars, Supports Artists and Fans Alike
• Friendable Inc.'s (FDBL) Halloween Fan Pass Event Provides Virtual Stage for Artists
• Friendable's Fan Pass Platform Records 128 New Artist Sign Ups Since Oct. 13, 2020, with Totals Now Surpassing 469 Artists Since its July 2020 Launch

Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (CSE: PACR)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (PACR).

Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (CSE: PACR) was featured today in the 420 with CNW by CannabisNewsWire. Last week, Wellness Connection filed a motion to protest a lawsuit against the state of Maine, which was launched by two small marijuana businesses over recreational marijuana licenses that were awarded to out-of-state firms. Wellness Connection, which is controlled by Delaware-based investor High Street Capital Partners, manages four medical marijuana dispensaries in Maine. The recreational marijuana market in Maine is relatively new, having launched on October 9 of this year. Despite its youth, the market is expected to soon eclipse the medical cannabis market size, with total sales projected to be $76 million this year; adult-use cannabis sales making up $20 million of that amount.

Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (CSE: PACR) is a Canadian cannabis company dedicated to producing premium-quality strains and products by leveraging a genetics-focused approach.

The company began operations in 2012, with activities primarily directed toward exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada. Today, it is focused on cannabis and hemp cultivation, leveraging high-end genetics and specialized cultivars to produce top quality products. Pac Roots has announced multiple promising initiatives in recent months, including its formation of an outdoor premium hemp joint venture with partner Rock Creek Farms in British Columbia, Canada, and its agreement to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of a firm holding 250 acres of land in the famed Fraser Valley Region of British Columbia.

Pac Roots is also in the process of completing its 20,000 square foot cultivation facility in Lake Country, British Columbia. The facility is expected to feature approximately 7,600 square feet of cultivation space that will enable the company to cycle through an elite line of 350+ unique, high-grade cultivars. Pac Roots expects to receive a cultivation license for the facility in the fourth quarter of 2020.

High-End Selectively Bred Genetics

Pac Roots focuses on high-end genetics in order to maximize the quality of its products while maintaining high yields and profit margins.

Through the process of artificial selection, farmers and cultivators have been adapting their plants to develop particular phenotypic traits for generations. Historically, this practice was restricted to underground cannabis producers developing their own strains.

The legalization of the cannabis industry has given producers access to thousands of cultivars located throughout the world while accelerating research into cannabis genetics. By carefully selecting strains, growers can control the size, color, smell, density and texture of cannabis buds, thereby creating distinctive, premium cannabis products.

Plants are bred to thrive in specific growing environments. This maximizes the yield of high-quality, resilient cannabis. Medical cannabis strains can also be tailored for specific medicinal purposes.

A strategic partnership with Phenome One, a plant breeding management and analytics firm, gives Pac Roots access to some of the world’s best cannabis genetics from the largest genetic library in Canada. The company is using these genetics to develop unique strains featuring a variety of beneficial characteristics.

The company’s 350+ licensed live cultivars and over 1,800 seed varieties are the result of a meticulous gene selection process, through which as many as 600 individual plants may be grown to produce a single strain. Selecting optimized genetics in this way provides benefits beyond simply producing a high-end product. In addition to potency and bud quality, cannabis plants are bred for yield and resilience. By selecting genetics that result in larger and more numerous buds on each plant, Pac Roots is able to grow more cannabis per grow light.

Breeding plants to be more resilient also reduces the cost and labor required. These factors, combined with the premium price point associated with top-quality cannabis, have the potential to improve Pac Roots’ overall profit margin.

Partnership with Phenome One

Pac Roots has secured its cultivars through a strategic licensing agreement with Phenome One. Under the agreement, Pac Roots has unlimited access to Phenome One’s live genetic library, including any of Phenome One’s cultivars and its growing, breeding and cloning IP.

Phenome One is an agricultural technology company focused on providing software solutions to seed companies. Phenome One’s platform gives its partners access to a massive database of detailed information on over 350 unique cannabis cultivars to support each stage of the breeding process. Each cultivar has been laboratory analyzed and rigorously field-tested, with data going back more than 30 years.

Using Phenome One’s data, Pac Roots plans to grow a variety of cannabis plants optimized for certain traits. One such trait will be plants with an abundance of cannaflavin, a rare terpene with high anti-inflammatory properties. Phenome One’s library could enable Pac Roots to produce plants that are bred to thrive in a range of different growing climates, including plants suited to grow in cold weather and plants that are resilient to region-specific fungi.

Joint Venture with Rock Creek Farms of British Columbia

Pac Roots recently entered a definitive investment agreement with Rock Creek Farms, a reputable agricultural enterprise, for a 100-acre commercial hemp operation in Rock Creek, British Columbia. The growing space is located in the highly lucrative farming area known as the ‘Golden Mile’ in the South Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. (http://nnw.fm/Gbf9I).

Under the agreement, the two companies have formed an outdoor premium hemp joint venture company to which Pac Roots is providing an aggregate of $450,000 in capital and Rock Creek Farms is contributing two commercial leases for 100+ acres of growing space, along with cultivation licenses, agricultural infrastructure and equipment, consulting services, intellectual property relating to hemp operations and proprietary biomass storage methods. Pac Roots holds a 60 percent interest in the project.

About 127,500 premium hemp CBD seedlings were planted across 100 acres as of early July 2020. The joint venture is planting a premium grade CBD hemp variety utilizing the rich native soil and both traditional and custom farming techniques.

“Our operational partners at Rock Creek Farms bring decades of generational farming expertise in one of Canada’s pre-eminent growing regions,” Pac Roots President and CEO Patrick Elliott said in a news release detailing the venture. “It will be an exciting outdoor growing season for the joint venture as we anticipate a successful harvest in the fall.”

Infinite Development Possibilities at Fraser Valley Property in British Columbia

In mid-July 2020, the company initiated a share purchase agreement with 1088070 BC. LTD. (“1088”) and its shareholders for the acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares of 1088 (http://nnw.fm/xlpw7). Notably, 1088 owns and controls 250 acres of land spread over nine parcels in the Fraser Valley Regional District.

The Fraser Valley Regional District is one of the most productive and intensively farmed areas of Canada, offering access to high-quality soil, favorable climate, water and a local market of 2.5 million people. Agriculture in this region yields an annual economic value of more than $3 billion.

The closing date for the transaction is slated for September 4, 2020, after a 51-day due diligence period. According to Elliott, the addition of such a significant package of land is a major step for Pac Roots.

“This land has no zoning restrictions and is not situated within the agricultural land reserve, which provides for infinite development possibilities,” Elliott added in a July 2020 news release.

Board of Directors member Chad Clelland also welcomed the acquisition, adding that between Fraser Valley and Rock Creek – both of them among the most productive agricultural regions in Canada – Pac Roots is very well positioned for production and the future development of its hemp and cannabis infrastructure.

The RAD Americas Genetic Program – Research and Development in Americas Genetic Program

Pac Roots intends to deploy a global R&D program focused on rigorously testing elite strains in various rich agricultural regions throughout the Americas, with a goal of mass selection to achieve the utmost environmental resilience while achieving notable quality and yields. From seed to software, collection data, proprietary techniques and custom nutrient formulas, Pac Roots and Phenome will provide the specific knowledge to cultivators in different climates in order to achieve optimal yields for THC, CBD, CBG and other unique cannabinoids. R&D from global testing programs situated throughout the Americas will allow the partnership to deploy and stress test a range of suitable cultivars in the world’s lowest cost outdoor growing regions.

The company expects an industry shift in 2020 from the COVID-19 global pandemic. The ‘new normal’ will bring more focus on efficiencies and optimal yields to deliver a cost effective, high quality product to the end user. There has been much to be learnt from the inefficiencies in the cannabis industry in recent years, which have been detrimental to the credibility of the sector. Pac Roots is well positioned to enter the scene and take advantage of the deficiencies, reinforcing the notion that genetics and flawless growing techniques are paramount to success. Genetics and systems innovation may be the most overlooked components when comparing cannabis to other established agricultural crops. Pac Roots plans to invest into cannabis R&D to ensure a solid foundation is built that will be used by cannabis farmers worldwide.

Through its RAD Americas Development and Innovation, Pac Roots is focused on:

• Deploying one of the largest live genetic libraries in Canada, diversified for high yield output and unique climates
• Continued stress testing for indoor, high yield, THC and medicinal genetics
• Continued stress testing for outdoor, high yield, THC and medicinal genetics
• Exotic, genetic cloning for the luxury, high margin, cannabis flower market
• Psychoactive/medicinal ratio testing for effect and
• Unique Cannabinoid and terpene elevation and isolation.

Through its RAD Americas Field Testing System, the company is focused on:

• Global testing in different microclimates to assess genetic and complete systems for optimal yields
• Data collection, testing and optimization to prove process for commercial implementation and
• High quality yield testing for THC, CBD, CBG and other unique medicinal cannabinoids.

Lake Country Cultivation Facility near Kelowna, British Columbia

Pac Roots is in the process of completing its 20,000 square foot cultivation facility in Lake Country, British Columbia. The facility is expected to feature approximately 7,600 square feet of cultivation space that will enable the company to cycle through its line of high-grade cultivars. Pac Roots plans to submit a video evidence package of the facility build under Health Canada’s Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System, and the company expects to acquire its cultivation license in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Lake Country is a municipality located just outside of Kelowna in the Okanagan region of British Columbia. For decades, the region’s favorable growing climate has made it a hub for cannabis cultivation. As the Canadian legal cannabis industry ramps up, the Okanagan region is attracting attention from dozens of cannabis companies, including some of the industry’s biggest names. The region’s strong agricultural history has left it rich with experienced agricultural workers and an abundance of Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) property.

Management Team

Patrick Elliott, MSC, MBA, President and CEO of Pac Roots Cannabis, is also the President & CEO of Lexore Capital Corp., a private resource and cannabis investment company, as well as Phenome One Corp., a full-service cannabis farming company focused on elite strain selective breeding. Elliott brings over 15 years of corporate finance, mineral exploration and financial markets experience to the Pac Roots team. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario in geology and holds an MSc. in mineral economics and an MBA from Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia. Elliott specializes in economic resource evaluation, financial modeling, CAPEX estimation, corporate development and finance. Combined with his technical knowledge, Elliott has a wealth of contacts in the financial sector.

Marc Geen, Founder and Strategic Operations Advisor, is a fourth-generation British Columbia farmer who has been active in the legal medical marijuana industry for more than 10 years – consulting on, complying with, and participating in the MMAR, MMPR and ACMPR programs. Prior to co-founding Speakeasy Cannabis Club Ltd., Geen spent 14 years as Head of Operations for Kettle Mountain Ginseng Ltd., one of North America’s largest ginseng producers. With the experience gleaned from a long career in large scale commercial farming, Geen has been able to apply many cost-effective farming practices to the outdoor, indoor and greenhouse cultivation of cannabis. Geen is also the co-creator of a full line of cannabis extract products designed under ACMPR regulations.

Matt McGill, Director, has a strong background in both commercial and residential real estate and has played a major role in many development projects. McGill, through McGill Realty, has established a tremendous commercial and residential outfit servicing British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and the lower mainland. McGill is skilled at crafting strategic financing options for corporations and has a substantial network of retail and institutional clients.

Chad Clelland, Director, has experience in the sector dating back to 2009, when he purchased Medicalmarijuana.ca, which became an information portal for thousands of patients, doctors and growers. Through this company, he and his team have helped thousands of Canadians find legal, safe medication. His team also consulted, designed and submitted dozens of applications to the government under the MMPR, ACMPR and Cannabis Act. In 2011, Clelland co-founded Greenleaf Medical Clinic, which is now recognized as a training facility by the University of British Columbia and offers preceptorships to physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists. He also co-founded Folium Life Science in 2013, an approved Canadian Licensed Producer. His roles in these organizations have included Chief Operating Officer, head of security, alternate master grower and alternate responsible person in charge.

Josh Bromley, Senior Cultivation Strategist, is a second-generation farmer with over two decades of experience farming, breeding, cultivating and selecting unique cultivars for the medical community. He is an expert in plant science and possesses a comprehensive knowledge of cultivars and a mastery of medicinal implementation. Bromley has developed proprietary farming systems, as well as low cost/high output nutrient systems. Through thoughtful design and engineering, he has been able to consistently show improvements in crop yields, pathogen resiliency and quality.

Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (PACR), closed Friday's trading session at $0.19, off by 5.00%, on 500 volume with 1 trade. The average volume for the last 3 months is 12,413 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.11/$0.72.

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Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE)

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

Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE) was featured today in a publication from Green Car Stocks, examining how, despite its relative novelty, the electric vehicle (“EV”) industry has made tremendous strides towards cleaning up our roads. Transportation accounts for approximately 28.2% of greenhouse gases worldwide, and several governments are planning on phasing out internal combustion engine vehicles in favor of electric vehicles over the next decade or two to address this. Not only do EVs run on clean, renewable energy, they also produce zero emissions at the tailpipe, making them the perfect vehicle for a net-zero economy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Net Element (NETE), closed Friday's trading session at $6.24, off by 7.2808%, on 239,097 volume with 1,573 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 1,273,660 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.472/$20.0783996.

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Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ: POAI)

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

Offering a proprietary automated High Throughput Self-Interaction Chromatography(TM) (“HSC”) Technology Platform, Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ: POAI) provides biomedical and pharmaceutical companies with superior options never before available. A knowledge-driven company focused on applying artificial intelligence (“AI”) to personalized medicine and drug discovery, POAI, through its subsidiary Soluble Biotech, delivers a solution that reduces the cost, time and manpower needed to optimize therapeutic formulations.

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

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

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

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

Subsidiaries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Competitive Advantage

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

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

Leadership Team

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

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

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

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

Predictive Oncology (POAI), closed Friday's trading session at $0.6601, off by 2.9122%, on 253,512 volume with 273 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 1,161,066 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.629999995/$5.30000019.

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Sustainable Green Team Ltd. (SGTM)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Sustainable Green Team Ltd. (SGTM).

Proving the theory that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, National Storm Recovery Inc. recently acquired Mulch Manufacturing Inc. to create the Sustainable Green Team (OTC: SGTM) - a leading provider of environmentally-beneficial solutions for tree and storm waste disposal. Besides increased sales, greater profits and international expansion, the synergistic activities of both companies further solidify their shared roles as stewards of the environment through the creation of organic products that benefit nature while diverting natural waste from landfills.

Sustainable Green Team Ltd. (OTC: SGTM), through its subsidiaries, including National Storm Recovery LLC (DBA Central Florida Arbor Care and Mulch Manufacturing Inc.), provides tree services, debris hauling, removal and bio-mass recycling, manufacturing, packaging and sales of next-generation mulch products. The company’s primary corporate objective is to provide a solution for the treatment and handling of tree debris that is historically sent to local landfills and disposal sites, creating an environmental burden and pressure on disposal sites around the nation.

Environmentally Friendly

SGTM and the solutions provided by its Sustainable Green Team are founded in sustainability. The company’s vertically integrated operations begin with the collection of tree debris through its tree services division and collection sites. Tree bio-mass is then moved through the processing division for recycling and manufacturing into a variety of organic, attractive, next-generation mulch products to be packaged and sold to retailers, landscapers, installers and garden centers.

The company’s solutions create a synergistic and environmentally beneficial solution to tree and storm waste disposal that historically has created an environmental burden on landfills and disposal sites around the nation.

SGTM’s customers include governmental, residential and commercial customers and now big box retailers. The company is headquartered in Florida.

Strategic Acquisition

SGTM in February 2020 acquired 35-year-old industry leader and innovator Mulch Manufacturing Inc., an Ohio corporation. Structured as a share exchange, this strategic partnership provides SGTM with a significantly larger footprint in the mulch industry.

The acquisition includes Mulch Manufacturing’s national and international distribution agreements, an increase in production and packaging capacity, and its sales contracts with numerous big box retailers. Mulch Manufacturing includes mulch production, sawmill operation, Natures Reflections colorant manufacturing and equipment manufacturing.

Next-Gen Products

SGTM’s vision and commitment to the environment is paired with Mulch Manufacturing’s revolutionary “next-generation” mulch product, Nature’s Reflection’s Softscape®.

Softscape mulch products, created from natural forest products, are color-enhanced with environmentally safe colorants to provide four-year color retention and are free from contaminants. Safe for people and pets, Softscape allows water and air to penetrate soil and roots, which is vital to plant health and growth.

Expansion Plans

SGTM plans to expand its operations through a combination of organic growth, through its partnership with a nationally recognized waste disposal company, and through strategic acquisitions that are both accretive to earnings and positioned for rapid growth from the resulting synergistic opportunities identified.

The company has received final zoning approval for its 100-acre site, located in Lake County, Astatula, Florida, which will serve as its flagship tree debris collection site. The facility will also house the company’s mulch manufacturing, soil composting and production bagging. This prime location includes a 5,000-square-foot building that contains warehouse and office space. The 100-acre property can accommodate millions of cubic yards of organic debris and will allow SGTM’s debris hauling division to realize significant savings on its transportation costs.

SGTM has chosen as its new headquarters the 100,000-square-foot Mulch Manufacturing building in Jacksonville, Florida. The facility comprises centralized operations of Mulch Manufacturing Inc. and National Storm Recovery LLC and has ample room to expand as needed.

Leadership

SGTM’s leadership team boasts more than 40 years of next-level experience with mulch manufacturing, treating and caring for trees. This team is guided by a roster of highly qualified professionals:

• Tony Raynor, Chief Executive Officer
• Edward Lee, Chief Operating Officer
• Ralph Spencer, Director of Business Development, Strategic Acquisitions
• Steve Ogden, ISA-Certified Arborist
• Rick Starcher, Master Chemist
• Peder K. Davisson, Esq., Corporate/Securities Counsel

Sustainable Green Team Ltd. (OTC: SGTM), closed Friday's trading session at $1.40, off by 0.70922%, on 400 volume with 4 trades. The stock's 52-week low/high is $0.05/$2.4999001.

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Trxade Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MEDS)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Trxade Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MEDS).

Trxade Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MEDS) is an integrated pharmaceutical services company that offers a unique combination of a web-based purchasing platform (www.trxade.com) for transactions between independent pharmacists and drug distributors (B2B); a network of pharmacies with E-Hub software; a mail order pharmacy; and warehouse and drug delivery services. This synergistic combination of product offerings and superior data analytics is poised to benefit all stakeholders and consumers within the pharmaceutical industry.

Trxade will leverage and scale its fully integrated model to execute the following growth strategies:

• Increase share of pharmacist drug purchasing
• Additional SKUs and expand product breath
• Partner with Specialty and International Mfg.
• Expand mail order licenses to all 50 states
• Scale Delivmeds for consumer delivery nationwide
• Integration with telemedicine
• M&A Opportunities within drug value chain

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Trxade’s overarching corporate strategy is to penetrate the existing retail independent pharmacy marketplace and diversify the company’s pharmaceutical mix with additional specialty and acute care products. Trxade is advancing on this mission by focusing on three key niches in the health care market.

Business-to-Business (B2B)

The $330 billion U.S. pharmaceutical industry is comprised of more than 65,000 pharmacy facilities and 1,500 state-licensed suppliers. Roughly 24,000 of these facilities are independent pharmacies, which collectively spend approximately $93 billion a year on branded and generic drugs.

Trxade targets these independent pharmacies, leveraging a robust, “E-Bay/Kayak-like” technology platform with optimum buyer/seller pricing algorithms, product availability, and predictive data analytics features.

Trxade currently serves and transacts with more than one-third (10,250) of these independent pharmacies and facilitates over $10 million of drug purchases a month!

Consumer

Trxade also targets the “consumer side” of the pharmaceutical industry, aiming to lower prescription drug costs by attacking the inefficient value chain; offering drug price transparency and efficient buying; and, delivering drugs DIRECT to independent pharmacists and consumers.

The company operates a full-service mail order pharmacy for U.S. consumers, as well as a mobile app called “Delivmeds” (http://www.delivmeds.com) which enables SAME DAY home delivery of dispensed prescriptions.

Retail

Trxade’s Managed Services Organization (“TrxadeMSO”) enables its member independent retail pharmacies to get patients, process orders, and deliver or ship prescriptions to patients. TrxadeMSO provides access to encompassing network of pharmacies through the E-Hub software, allowing for timely and comprehensive medication fulfillment.

These offerings ensure the best-suited pharmacy receives the patient’s information, thereby ensuring appropriate medication coverage based on the patient’s location, payor coverage, and medication access/inventory. This will save the clinicians and their staff time as they benefit from efficiency and enhanced workflow management in script processing and fulfillment.

Health Care Market 

The U.S. health care market currently hovers near $4 trillion and is expected to grow as the general population ages. This growth will have greater impact on consumers as out-of-pocket expenses also rise. Additionally, drug costs are paced to increase faster than the overall health care and well above inflation.

Drug pricing is variable, and reimbursement is squeezing profits. This provides significant opportunity for the Trxade model of price visibility and profit optimization.

Trxade’s fair online market platform targets the nation’s retail community and independent pharmacies, of which there are approximately 24,000 nationwide. TRxADE has found that independent pharmacies, in order to be cost-effective, often operate with minimal staff and conduct up-to-the minute price checks. The TRxADE S2P platform gives these pharmacists the ability to easily compare the price of drugs offered by various suppliers and select the most favorable deals, saving money by taking advantage of best purchase pricing.

TRxADE’s programs include:

• TRxADE Exchange, which opens and widens the distribution channel to the retail, community pharmacy. A purchasing pharmacy can view products from manufacturers, buying groups, and wholesalers on a real-time and continuous basis. This approach significantly enhances the competitive spirit of the exchange where the lowest price exists for each product at any given point in time. TRxADE has become a competitive tool for all progressive entities and is recognized for its easy searching of hard-to-find generic pharmaceuticals at substantially reduced prices.  
• RX Guru™ is an industry-leading price prediction model that integrates product shortage insight into pharmacy acquisition benchmarks (“PAC”) to ascertain trends and pricing variances that result in significant purchasing opportunities. RX Guru affords members the opportunity to continuously benefit from real price purchasing opportunities that are concealed from the rest of the industry. 
• Product Shortage Database – TRxADE maintains the most comprehensive retail, specialty and acute care pharmaceutical product shortage database in the country. Other industry competitors mainly restrict their efforts to specialty and acute care product shortages and narrowly research oral generic products. TRxADE’s advanced prediction tools help members source those hard-to-find products at affordable costs in a timely and easy-to-search process. 

Management Team 

Trxade’s management team is rich in expertise within the pharmaceutical supply chain and is supported by a base of advisors and contractors who are experts in related fields of the pharmaceutical sector.

Suren Ajjarapu – Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary
Suren Ajjarapu has served as Trxade’s chairman of the board, CEO and secretary since 2014, and as the chairman of the board, chief executive officer and secretary of Trxade Nevada since its inception. Ajjarapu also serves as a chairman of the board for Feeder Creek Group Inc., since March 2018. Ajjarapu formerly was a founder, CEO and chairman of Sansur Renewable Energy Inc., a company involved in developing wind power sites in the Midwest, United States; a founder, president and director of Aemetis Inc., a biofuels company (AMTX.OB); a founder, chairman and CEO of International Biofuels, a subsidiary of Aemetis Inc.; and a co-founder, COO, and director at Global Information Technology Inc., an IT outsourcing and systems design company. Ajjarapu holds an M.S. in environmental engineering from South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, and an MBA from the University of South Florida, specializing in international finance and management. Ajjarapu is also a graduate of the Venture Capital and Private Equity program at Harvard University.

Prashant Patel – Director, President and Chief Operating Officer
Prashant Patel has served as Trxade’s full-time president and COO, and as a director since the company’s acquisition of Trxade Nevada in 2014, and as the COO and president and as a director of Trxade Nevada since its inception. He has been a president and member of the board of Trxade since August 2010. Patel is a registered pharmacist and pharmaceutical consultant with over 10 years of experience in retail pharmacy and pharmaceutical logistics. He is the founder of several pharmacies in the Tampa Bay area, in Florida. Since 2008, Patel has been managing member of the APAA LLC pharmacy. Since 2007, Patel has been a vice president of Holiday Pharmacy Inc. Patel graduated from Nottingham University School of Pharmacy and practiced in the United Kingdom before obtaining his masters in Transport, Trade and Finance from Cass Business School, City University, UK.

 

Trxade Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MEDS), closed Friday's trading session at $4.62, up 4.8808%, on 63,300 volume with 519 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 86,521 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $4.01000022/$11.6000003.

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

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

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

Innovation and Expansion

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

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

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

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

Clear Advantages in a Growing Market

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

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

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

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

Seasoned Management Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ: WTER), closed Friday's trading session at $1.49, up 11.194%, on 4,314,005 volume with 9,435 trades. The average volume for the last 3 months is 1,277,876 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.400000005/$2.5999999.

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