• Xeriant is focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing transformative technologies with applications across multiple industrial and infrastructure markets.
• At the core of this strategy is the Factor X Research Group, Xeriant’s internal advanced research and innovation hub.
• The company’s innovation platform is also structured to support strategic partnerships, acquisitions and licensing opportunities.

As investor interest in advanced technology platforms grows alongside breakthroughs in research, materials science and data-driven innovation, Xeriant (OTCQB: XERI) is shaping a strategy that extends well beyond any single product or material solution. Rather than positioning itself as a one-technology company, Xeriant is increasingly defining its identity around building an integrated innovation ecosystem focused on accelerating discovery, development and commercialization of high-impact technologies, including nanotech.

A holding and technology development company, Xeriant is focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing transformative technologies with applications across multiple industrial and infrastructure markets. The company’s mission centers on sustainable innovation, strategic partnerships and the creation of scalable technology platforms that can be deployed across diverse sectors. Rather than operating as a traditional single-product enterprise, Xeriant’s model is designed to function as a technology incubator and accelerator, bringing together research, capital access and commercialization expertise under one corporate structure.

At the core of this strategy is the Factor X Research Group, Xeriant’s internal advanced research and innovation hub. Factor X is structured to serve as a cross-disciplinary platform that connects scientists, engineers, technologists and strategists to identify, evaluate and advance breakthrough ideas. The group focuses on compressing development timelines and translating early-stage concepts into practical, scalable technologies that can move toward real-world deployment.

In late 2025, Xeriant expanded this initiative by elevating Brigadier General (Ret.) Blaine D. Holt to lead Factor X, signaling the company’s commitment to disciplined innovation and strategic execution. Holt’s leadership role goes beyond advisory functions and places him at the center of shaping research priorities, collaboration models and long-term technology pathways. According to the company, Holt’s mandate includes building an ecosystem of innovators, aligning research with real-world needs and guiding technologies toward commercialization rather than remaining in purely experimental stages.

Factor X is designed to integrate multiple disciplines under one innovation framework, including advanced materials, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, data science and infrastructure-focused technologies. By bringing these domains together, Xeriant aims to create synergies that allow breakthroughs in one area to accelerate progress in others. This model reflects a shift away from siloed research and toward integrated technology development, which is increasingly viewed as essential for solving complex industrial and societal challenges.

Xeriant’s innovation platform is also structured to support strategic partnerships, acquisitions and licensing opportunities. Rather than relying exclusively on internal development, the company positions itself as a connector between innovators, researchers and commercial partners. This approach allows Xeriant to expand its technology portfolio while managing development risk and capital requirements.

In a year-end message to shareholders, Xeriant outlined its vision for 2026 as one centered on expanding its technology portfolio, strengthening its innovation infrastructure and advancing multiple development initiatives toward commercialization. The company also reaffirmed its ambition to transition from development-stage projects into revenue-generating operations over time, supported by strategic partnerships and platform-based growth.

This broader strategic orientation places Xeriant in the category of technology platform builders rather than product-specific manufacturers. The company’s value proposition is increasingly tied to its ability to identify high-potential innovations, nurture those innovations through structured development processes, and bring them to market through coordinated commercialization strategies. Factor X functions as the operational backbone of this vision, providing the organizational structure and leadership necessary to manage complex, multi-domain innovation.

What differentiates Xeriant from many similar companies is the intentional structure of its innovation model. Instead of pursuing isolated projects, the company is building an interconnected framework that supports continuous discovery, development and deployment of technologies across sectors. This platform approach creates optionality, allowing the company to adapt its focus as markets evolve and opportunities emerge, without being constrained by a single vertical or product category.

Looking forward, Xeriant’s direction reflects a long-term vision centered on innovation infrastructure, leadership-driven strategy and ecosystem development. While commercialization remains a future milestone, the foundation being built through Factor X and the company’s broader platform strategy represents a deliberate effort to create scalable, repeatable pathways for technology advancement. Xeriant is positioning itself not simply as a technology developer but as an innovation platform company designed to accelerate discovery and translate advanced research into practical applications. By investing in leadership, organizational structure and cross-disciplinary integration through Factor X, the company is laying the groundwork for long-term growth built on diversified innovation rather than dependence on any single technology.

For more information, visit www.Xeriant.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to XERI are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/XERI

• Hospitality operators are adopting robotics to target the most physically demanding jobs in hotels, venues, and service environments
• NGTF’s Robotics as a Service allows companies not to deploy automation based on futuristic novelty, but to improve overall service
• The company recently showcased two systems during their time at CES: https://fox5sandiego.com/fox-5-partners/impactful/nightfood-holdings-showcases-ai-service-robots-at-ces/

Labor volatility has become one of the most persistent structural challenges facing the hospitality industry. Even as demand has returned across hotels, venues, and resorts, staffing shortages, call offs, and physical strain on frontline workers continue to pressure margins and service consistency. Rather than replacing workers outright, operators are increasingly exploring automation models that function as workforce support, reducing friction in day-to-day operations while preserving the human element that defines hospitality.

That shift is creating an opening for Robotics as a Service, or RaaS, models that integrate automation into live environments without requiring ownership, retraining, or wholesale workflow redesign. One company positioning itself squarely within that transition is Nightfood Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: NGTF) operating through its robotics subsidiary TechForce Robotics.

From Labor Replacement to Labor Support

A central theme emerging from recent industry discussions is the distinction between automation as displacement versus automation as infrastructure. In a published interview on Nevada Week, TechForce leadership emphasized that its robots are deployed to handle repetitive, physically demanding tasks such as transporting linens, waste, and supplies, allowing staff to focus on guest interaction and higher value responsibilities.

This framing matters in hospitality markets like Las Vegas, where more than a quarter of the workforce is employed in tourism-related roles. Concerns about job displacement are real, but TechForce’s approach reflects a more pragmatic operational reality. Robots operate continuously, filling gaps and reducing physical fatigue, which can improve staff retention rather than eliminate positions. 

Why RaaS Fits Hospitality Operations

Unlike capital intensive automation strategies, Robotics as a Service spreads deployment, maintenance, software, and support into a single monthly operating expense. TechForce’s RaaS model includes the robots themselves, navigation software, onsite mapping, maintenance, training, and ongoing optimization.

This approach reflects the company’s broader philosophy, shaped by leadership with decades of hospitality experience, of deploying robotics only where they solve operational pain points rather than adding novelty (ibn.fm/S6ZKi).

For hotel operators, this lowers adoption risk. There is no upfront purchase, no internal robotics team required, and no disruption to existing staff roles. Robots such as the TIM-E system are mapped into facilities, trained to navigate elevators and doors, and adjusted as layouts and workflows change. This is relevant in living environments where hallways, traffic patterns, and operational needs shift daily.

In conjunction with NGTF’s systems, BIM-E, short for Beverages in Motion Everywhere, consistently delivered hot and cold beverages throughout CES, demonstrating reliable performance during peak demand without slowing operations.

A Platform Within a Larger Strategy

Within Nightfood Holdings, TechForce Robotics represents a broader effort to identify operational bottlenecks across hospitality, where automation can deliver efficiency without eroding experience. This structure allows TechForce to pursue emerging categories that operate within the properties the company owns. 

As hospitality operators continue balancing labor realities with service expectations, Robotics as a Service is increasingly viewed less as a futuristic experiment and more as a practical operational tool. TechForce Robotics is positioning itself within that transition, not by promising disruption, but by offering support where the industry feels the most strain.

For more information, visit the company’s website at TechForceRobotics.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NGTF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/NGTF

Disseminated on behalf of LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) and may include paid advertising.

• LaFleur Minerals has published the results of recent diamond core drilling assays, providing infill to eliminate gaps in the previously existing resource model and demonstrate strong gold continuity across the company’s Swanson Gold Deposit and broader, district-scale Swanson Gold Project
• The Swanson Gold Project is located at the eastern edge of the renowned Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Canada, containing 445 mineral claims and one mining lease and spanning more than 18,000 hectares (about 44,500 acres)
• LaFleur is preparing to release a Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) in the next month, outlining potential economics of the Swanson Gold Project as key source of mineralized feed for nearby Beacon Gold Mill
• The company is also preparing to begin a production restart of its wholly owned 750 tpd Beacon Gold Mill located near the Swanson site, anticipating Swanson will serve as a long-term source of mill feed creating a vertically integrated mine-to-mill model
• Gold struck a price record near $5,600 in late January after seeing a one-year gain of 95.6%, well above the $1,800-$2,000 an ounce level it was trading at when the Beacon Gold Mill’s previous owner ceased operations in 2022

Canadian gold explorer and near-term producer LaFleur Minerals (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) announced drilling assay results that confirm strong gold continuity across its Swanson Deposit footprint, strengthening the excitement over Swanson as a scalable, district-scale gold asset with high-grade potential located in an already high-yielding gold exploration region.

The assay results come from 12 validation drill holes at the gold deposit as well as 28 exploration drill holes on the larger Swanson Gold Project where the gold deposit is located. They form a large part of the 60 drill holes completed during the past year over 16,592 meters on the project, providing “compelling technical information” that will eliminate gaps in the previously existing resource model by connecting established mineralized zones (https://ibn.fm/VDWll).

Gold has repeatedly struck new record price territory in market trading during the past year, briefly nearing $5,600 an ounce in late January with a one-year gain of 95.6% before a bout of volatility that followed dollar-optimism news (https://ibn.fm/nmkK9). The huge rise in precious metal prices as well as the potential for volatility underscore the importance of LaFleur’s wholly owned and recently upgraded Beacon Gold Mill, located proximate to the Swanson site.

The Beacon Gold Mill is nearing production restart with expectations that the Swanson Gold Project  will serve as a long-term source of mill feed, but that other explorers in the nearby region may find the possibility of custom milling options attractive as well.

The Beacon Gold Mill  is currently capable of processing 750 metric tons per day of ore utilizing its crushing, grinding, flotation, regrind, leaching and Merrill‑Crowe circuits, and the company now is evaluating capacity expansion across two scenarios: at ~1,000 tpd and 3,000-4,000 tpd over the longer term. The Swanson Gold Deposit within the Swanson Gold Project is located at the eastern edge of the renowned Abitibi gold belt in Val d’Or, Quebec, a key mining hub. The Abitibi Belt has enjoyed a reputation as unrivaled in terms of gold production, accounting for more than 300 million ounces historically when current reserves are factored in (https://ibn.fm/SctkZ).

LaFleur’s drilling within the larger Swanson Gold Project but outside the Swanson Gold Deposit shows the potential of additional open-pit gold recovery across the 33-km strike length of the project, which includes 445 mineral claims and one mining lease. The virtue of the intercepts is highlighted by findings of 2.05 g/t Au over 158.25 meters, with narrow high-grade results including 121.0 g/t Au over 1.1 meters.

The results provide a basis for estimating the deposit’s scale, continuity, and economic relevance, and materially strengthens confidence in both the geological model and the project’s development pathway, according to the company’s statement.

The results will serve to strengthen the Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) expected to be released in the next month.

While diamond drilling continues in the area of the Swanson Deposit, additional regional exploration is focusing on the southeast and east parts of the property, particularly around the Jackson Showing located approximately 6.2 km to the southwest of the Swanson Deposit. The company will be looking to determine if its shallow deposit could represent a viable satellite deposit capable of providing additional feed to the Beacon Gold Mill.

For more information, visit the company’s website at LaFleurMinerals.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LFLRF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/LFLRF

Qualified Person Statement:

All scientific and technical information contained in this article has been reviewed and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

Disseminated on behalf of Trilogy Metals Inc. (NYSE American: TMQ) (TSX: TMQ)  and may include paid advertising.

• US involvement in critical-minerals production driven by geopolitical and economic motivations
• In late 2025, Trilogy Metals announced $35.6 million in US federal investment to advance the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects in northwest Alaska through its Ambler Metals JV with South32

Policymakers and investors are increasingly focused on securing domestic sources of minerals critical to supply chains for electrification, digitalization, and national security. Two recent developments outline the US government’s plans to deepen its stake in critical mineral producers and how that push has boosted companies linked to Washington’s strategy, including Trilogy Metals (NYSE American: TMQ) (TSX: TMQ), a developer of critical mineral resources in Alaska’s Ambler Mining District.

A recent Reuters article details how the Trump administration is preparing to take a 10% stake in USA Rare Earth through a $1.6 billion debt and equity investment package, part of a broader push to secure domestic production of minerals considered critical for defense, technology and industrial applications. Under the proposed arrangement, the US Commerce Department would take 16.1 million shares and warrants for an additional 17.6 million shares in USA Rare Earth, enabling mining and magnet manufacturing facilities in Texas aimed at onshoring key production. The deal follows recent federal moves, positioning Washington as a strategic partner rather than just a regulator in the critical minerals sector.

The article underscores the geopolitical and economic motivations driving US involvement. China currently dominates global rare earth processing, giving it significant market leverage in consumer electronics and defense systems. The US strategy, investing directly in domestic miners and processors, is an attempt to diversify supply chains and reduce dependency on foreign sources for materials that are essential in energy infrastructure, sensors, magnets and defense hardware. By backing companies, the administration is signaling a shift toward active participation in building a domestic industrial base for these critical inputs.

While this specific investment targets rare earths, a subgroup of critical minerals, the strategy has broader implications. It reinforces the fact that securing access to materials such as copper, lithium, cobalt and others necessary for electrification and advanced technology remains a high priority for US policymakers. Direct involvement, whether through funding or equity positions, sends a strong signal to markets and developers that federal support can be a meaningful part of project financing and execution.

Trilogy Metals is advancing its Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects (“UKMP”) through a 50/50 joint venture with South32 Limited called Ambler Metals LLC. The UKMP is located in Alaska’s Ambler Mining District, a rich copper-dominant mineral belt central to US ambitions for diversified critical mineral production. Trilogy’s work encompasses exploration and development of high-grade polymetallic deposits, including copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver and cobalt, making the company’s assets particularly relevant to national supply chain security goals.

In late 2025, Trilogy announced a $35.6 million strategic investment by the US government in the company. This strategic partnership was framed as a milestone for advancing secure critical mineral supplies in America, emphasizing the UKMP’s potential contribution to national energy, technology and defense priorities. 

The UKMP’s significance lies in its potential to deliver a combination of scaled volume and high grades of critical metals. Trilogy’s flagship assets in the UKMP, including the Arctic VMS (volcanogenic massive sulphide) deposit and the Bornite carbonate replacement deposit, collectively host copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver and cobalt, and are situated within a land package in northwest Alaska that spans approximately 190,929 hectares. If developed, these resources could feed into electrification, battery technology, defense systems and other sectors reliant on dependable mineral supply.

Trilogy has stated the need for an industrial-use-only road to connect the district with existing highways, enabling year-round transport of equipment and ore. Trilogy has indicated that expedited permitting processes such as the FAST-41 initiative could help accelerate approvals and construction, illustrating how policy and strategic infrastructure investment could shape project timelines.

As global supply chain concerns persist and governments seek to reduce reliance on foreign sources, Trilogy’s position within Alaska’s Ambler Mining District, combined with direct federal investment and strategic permitting initiatives, underscores its potential role in contributing to a more secure and diversified domestic critical minerals landscape. Continued progress on infrastructure, regulatory approvals and financing will be key to translating investor optimism and federal strategy into production and long-term supply contributions.

For more information, visit www.TrilogyMetals.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Trilogy Metals are available in the company’s newsroom at ibn.fm/TMQ

• The new project in Wisconsin marks SuperCom’s fifth new U.S. project since the start of 2026, and extends an existing Midwest regional partnership formed in 2025.
• The new county will use SuperCom’s PureOne GPS tracking and PureShield tools for offender monitoring and domestic violence prevention.
• Wisconsin reflects SuperCom’s broader pattern of follow-on expansion after initial state entry.
• The projects are replacing legacy systems while also introducing new monitoring programs.

SuperCom (NASDAQ: SPCB), a global provider of secured e-Government, IoT, and cybersecurity solutions, is extending its electronic monitoring footprint in the U.S. Midwest, announcing a third county-level deployment in Wisconsin just months after entering the state. The latest project, disclosed on February 2, represents the company’s fifth new EM launch since the beginning of the year and underscores how SuperCom is scaling through established regional partnerships once an initial foothold is secured (https://ibn.fm/kjLnr).

The Wisconsin rollout is being implemented through SuperCom’s Midwest regional service provider partnership, established in early 2025. Since its first Wisconsin deployment in September 2025, SuperCom has added a second county in January and now a third, reflecting a steady expansion across local jurisdictions.

Under the new agreement, SuperCom will deploy its PureOne GPS bracelet alongside PureShield, the company’s mobile device and application used in domestic violence prevention programs. The project supports GPS tracking initiatives transitioning away from incumbent technologies while also enabling a new domestic violence monitoring framework for the county.

“We enter a region, demonstrate value through initial deployments, and then scale quickly across additional counties and programs,” said Ordan Trabelsi, SuperCom’s president and CEO, in the company’s announcement. He noted that Wisconsin mirrors activity underway in other states, where early projects have led to broader adoption. “In Wisconsin alone, we have secured three separate county-level projects within a short timeframe, including initiatives that both replaced incumbent solutions and introduced new domestic violence monitoring capabilities. We are seeing this same pattern repeated in other states such as North Carolina, Alabama, Utah, Virginia, and Tennessee, as agencies and partners adopt our technology and extend its use,” Trabelsi concluded.

SuperCom has international deployments spanning EMEA and North America. In the U.S., its primary operational focus is electronic monitoring of offenders and domestic violence prevention, delivered through its PureSecurity(TM) platform.

PureSecurity integrates modular GPS, RFID, and cloud-based tools designed for a range of supervision needs, from home detention and parole monitoring to domestic violence prevention. Agencies and service providers can combine hardware and software components depending on program requirements, allowing deployments to be tailored at the county or state level.

At the core of the platform is PureMonitor, SuperCom’s cloud interface used by supervising authorities to access real-time alerts, compliance reporting, and historical data. Field hardware includes PureOne, a one-piece GPS bracelet built for continuous indoor and outdoor tracking, along with RF-based devices such as PureTag and PureBeacon for environments where GPS coverage may be limited.

For domestic violence prevention programs, SuperCom offers PureShield in the U.S. and PureProtect in Europe: mobile device and applications that provide proximity alerts when court-ordered restrictions are breached. These tools are designed to integrate into broader supervision systems rather than operate as standalone products.

The Wisconsin project illustrates how SuperCom’s modular architecture supports both replacement of legacy GPS programs and the introduction of new services within the same deployment. According to the company, its technology was selected following an evaluation process that compared SuperCom’s offerings with incumbent solutions.

Since mid-2024, SuperCom has secured more than 35 new U.S. electronic monitoring contracts and entered 15 new states, often displacing existing providers as agencies modernize community supervision operations (https://ibn.fm/lCpSO). The company’s approach emphasizes rapid implementation through regional service providers, allowing counties with varying levels of EM experience to launch programs without building infrastructure from scratch.

Electronic monitoring continues to gain attention among policymakers and courts as an alternative to traditional incarceration for certain populations. Research from multiple jurisdictions has linked EM programs with reduced recidivism, including studies in Argentina, Australia, and France that showed measurable declines in reoffending when monitoring was combined with structured supervision.

SuperCom’s technology is designed to support those outcomes by enabling courts to administer house arrest, probation monitoring, and domestic violence prevention in a way that balances accountability with community integration.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.SuperCom.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SPCB are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SPCB

Disseminated on behalf of  Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSX.V: LG) (OTCQB: LGCXF) and may include paid advertising.

• A newly mobilized core rig at Santa Fe is collecting geochemical and groundwater data central to Nevada mine permitting and pit design.
• New Slab-area results include a thick oxide intercept (68.6m at 0.45 g/t Au Eq, including 16.8m at 0.81 g/t Au Eq) extending mineralization beyond the current conceptual pit shell.
• The Santa Fe Mine project combines past production (359,202 oz Au; 702,067 oz Ag) with a 43-101 mineral resource base and an active pathway targeting a return to production in 2027.

In gold mining, the biggest risks are often not geological. They’re procedural. Permitting, baseline studies, metallurgy, and hydrogeology can determine whether an asset advances from “resource” to “project,” even in jurisdictions with established mining infrastructure. That reality is why the most credible development stories tend to show progress on two tracks at once: improving the technical picture while steadily checking the regulatory boxes required to build.

Lahontan Gold (TSX-V: LG) (OTCQB: LGCXF) is trying to do exactly that at its Santa Fe Mine Project in Nevada’s Walker Lane, pairing mine-permitting work early in 2026 with additional drilling results that continue to outline shallow oxide mineralization at the Slab area.

A Permitting-Step That Looks Like Real Work

On January 26, 2026, the company announced it mobilized a Super 90 track-mounted core drill rig to the Santa Fe Mine Project as part of its mine development program. The goal of this drilling is not resource expansion in the traditional sense. Instead, the program is designed to collect core samples for waste-rock geochemical characterization, a key input into state-level mine permitting, while also improving the company’s understanding of groundwater distribution in proposed open-pit areas.

Those two datasets matter. Waste-rock characterization helps inform how material will be managed and permitted. Hydrologic data influences pit design, dewatering planning, and environmental baselines. In other words, the rig is being used to support the steps that move a project closer to a build decision rather than simply producing headline intercepts.

Management has framed the timing as deliberate. With drilling mobilized early in 2026, the company expects to generate the hydrologic and geochemical information needed to keep Santa Fe on track for breaking ground in 2027.

The Santa Fe Baseline: Past Producer, Defined Resource, District Footprint

Santa Fe is not an early-stage conceptual target. It is a past-producing open-pit, heap-leach operation that produced 359,202 ounces of gold and 702,067 ounces of silver from 1988 to 1995. The property is also described as a district-scale land position, with the project footprint shown at roughly 28.3 km² in the company’s materials, hosting multiple deposits within the broader Santa Fe system.

The project’s current mineral resource base, reported under Canadian National Instrument 43-101, includes an indicated resource of 1.539 million ounces Au Eq (48.393 million tonnes grading 0.92 g/t Au and 7.18 g/t Ag, or 0.99 g/t Au Eq) and an inferred resource of 411,000 ounces Au Eq (16.760 million tonnes grading 0.74 g/t Au and 3.25 g/t Ag, or 0.76 g/t Au Eq), all pit constrained.

From a development standpoint, the company has also emphasized infrastructure and practicality: year-round access, on-site power infrastructure (including a substation), and water wells are highlighted as existing advantages typically valued in permitting and construction timelines.

Slab Drilling Adds Context to the 2026 Work Plan

One day after the mobilization update, Lahontan released additional assay results from two reverse-circulation drill holes completed during its 2025 Phase Two program in the south Slab pit area. The headline interval came from hole CAL25-011R: 68.6 metres grading 0.45 g/t Au Eq (from 45.7m to 114.3m), including 16.8 metres grading 0.81 g/t Au Eq (65.5m to 82.3m). The company described this as a shallow, thick intercept of oxide gold mineralization below the current mineral resource pit shell, expanding the oxide footprint when paired with earlier drilling.

A second hole, CAL25-012R, returned 41.2 metres grading 0.32 g/t Au Eq (32.0m to 73.2m), interpreted as correlating with structurally controlled mineralization and extending oxide gold to the southwest and below the current pit shell.

The practical importance here is not just grade; it’s geometry. If mineralization continues outside and beneath the current conceptual shell, it can influence future pit outlines and the next iteration of the resource model. The company stated it intends to incorporate these holes into an updated mineral resource estimate for Slab and for the broader Santa Fe project, with an updated MRE expected in the coming months, followed by an updated preliminary economic assessment alongside updated metallurgy and updated metal-price assumptions.

Development Economics: Sensitivity Matters, So Does Execution

Santa Fe’s prior economic work has been presented as a relatively straightforward heap-leach development concept, with a mine plan and cost structure intended to support an 8-year project at 12,500 tonnes per day. The company’s presentation also highlights the sensitivity of project economics to gold and silver prices, with higher price assumptions producing materially different NPV and IRR outcomes using the same underlying mine plan parameters.

But in practice, the near-term value driver is execution sequence: permitting data collection, resource updates, metallurgy work, and mine plan refinement. The January updates suggest Lahontan is trying to keep those workstreams moving in parallel, rather than treating permitting as an afterthought once drilling is complete.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.LahontanGoldCorp.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LGCXF are available in the company’s newsroom at ibn.fm/LGCXF

Disseminated on behalf of SPARC AI Inc. (CSE: SPAI) (OTCQB: SPAIF) and may include paid advertising.

• Recent developments in drone warfare highlight the growing complexity of counter-unmanned aircraft systems
• Sparc AI’s focus on GPS-independent navigation aligns directly with modern defense needs, offering software-based solutions that enhance resilience, autonomy and mission reliability in complex operational theaters
• Beyond defense, Sparc AI’s spatial computing technology also carries applications in civilian and commercial sectors

In an era where unmanned aerial systems are reshaping modern warfare and raising new environmental risks, advanced technologies are becoming essential not only for military dominance but also for managing the unintended consequences of drone proliferation. From secure battlefield communications to ecological disruption caused by emerging drone designs, the implications of autonomous systems are expanding rapidly. Sparc AI (CSE: SPAI) (OTCQB: SPAIF) operates at this intersection, developing spatial computing and autonomous navigation technologies that connect military innovation with next-generation situational awareness and intelligence systems.

Recent developments in drone warfare highlight the growing complexity of counter-unmanned aircraft systems. A report published by the U.S. Army details how fiber-optic, spool-fed drones are posing significant challenges to conventional counter-UAS defenses. These drones unwind a thin fiber-optic cable as they fly, creating a secure data link that is extremely difficult for traditional electronic warfare and radio-frequency detection systems to disrupt. Because communication occurs through optical fiber rather than radio signals, these drones are largely immune to jamming and interference and can operate effectively in contested electromagnetic environments.

According to the report, these fiber-optic drones provide advantages including low latency, secure data transmission and resistance to detection by many existing counter-drone systems. Their increasing deployment in conflict zones highlights a technological shift that complicates traditional air defense strategies and forces militaries to rethink how they detect, track and neutralize unmanned threats. This evolving threat environment illustrates how rapidly drone technology is advancing and how traditional sensor-based detection methods are becoming less reliable in modern conflict scenarios.

While these systems provide battlefield advantages, they also introduce long-term environmental risks. A separate analysis from the Conflict and Environment Observatory examines the ecological impact of fiber-optic drone deployments, warning that plastic pollution from fiber-optic cables may threaten wildlife for years after conflicts end. The report explains that kilometers of fiber-optic cables are often left behind in operational areas, creating persistent plastic waste that can entangle animals, degrade into microplastics, and remain in ecosystems for decades or longer.

The CEOBS article highlights concerns that polymer-based optical fibers do not biodegrade and can remain embedded in soil and vegetation, posing risks to birds, mammals and agricultural environments. Researchers note that in heavily congested areas, fiber-optic lines can accumulate across landscapes, creating long-term ecological hazards that extend far beyond the immediate military context. These findings underscore how advanced drone technologies create complex ripple effects that affect not only military strategy but also long-term environmental stability.

These two reports illustrate a dual reality of modern unmanned systems. On one side, drone technology is becoming more resilient, more autonomous and harder to counter. On the other, it is generating new environmental and ethical challenges that extend beyond warfare. This convergence of military innovation and long-term impact creates a growing need for technologies that improve situational awareness, autonomous navigation and spatial intelligence in increasingly complex environments.

This is where Sparc AI Inc. becomes highly relevant. The company is a software and engineering firm specializing in spatial computing, autonomous navigation and GPS-denied geolocation technologies. Its proprietary SPARC platform is designed to enable drones, robots and edge devices to determine precise locations and navigate without reliance on GPS, radar, lidar or heavy sensor arrays.

Sparc AI’s technology uses advanced mathematical modeling and spatial algorithms to calculate real-time position, target coordinates and navigation paths using standard cameras and sensor inputs. This allows autonomous systems to operate effectively in environments where traditional positioning systems are unavailable, compromised or intentionally disrupted.

At the core of Sparc AI’s platform is its Target Acquisition System and Overwatch solution, which transform standard sensors into spatial intelligence tools capable of autonomous object recognition, coordinate generation and navigation guidance. This allows unmanned systems to function in GPS-denied or contested environments, directly addressing the same operational challenges highlighted in the Army’s counter-drone analysis.

As militaries increasingly face drones that evade detection and operate without traditional radio signals, the ability to locate, track and navigate using spatial computing becomes strategically critical. Sparc AI’s focus on GPS-independent navigation aligns directly with modern defense needs, offering software-based solutions that enhance resilience, autonomy and mission reliability in complex operational theaters.

Beyond defense, Sparc AI’s spatial computing technology also carries applications in civilian and commercial sectors such as disaster response, infrastructure inspection, logistics, robotics and industrial automation. In each of these fields, the ability to understand space, location and movement without external positioning systems can improve safety, reduce costs and increase operational reliability.

The parallel rise of advanced drone systems and environmental consequences demonstrates that the future of autonomous technology must balance performance with responsibility. As fiber-optic drones reshape military strategy and simultaneously create ecological risks, the need for smarter, more adaptive and environmentally conscious systems becomes increasingly clear.

Sparc AI’s role in this evolving landscape reflects the growing importance of spatial intelligence as a foundational layer of autonomy. By enabling precise navigation and situational awareness without reliance on vulnerable infrastructure, the company is helping shape how future autonomous systems operate in both military and civilian environments.

For more information, visit the company’s website at https://sparcai.co.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SPAIF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SPAIF

• The company has issued zero common shares since October 2023, marking a decisive break from typical OTC dilution patterns.
• A multi-year share repurchase program has retired more than 20 million shares while authorized shares have been reduced by 60%.
• Earth Science Tech is funding operations and acquisitions through cash flow while legally restricting its future ability to dilute shareholders.

In the microcap market, capital formation is often synonymous with dilution. Companies raise money by issuing new shares, frequently at the expense of long-term shareholders, creating a cycle where growth in operations does not translate into growth in per-share value. Against that backdrop, capital discipline itself becomes a differentiator, and increasingly, a signal of management intent.

Earth Science Tech (OTCID: ETST) has taken an approach that runs counter to long-standing norms in the OTC market. Rather than expanding its share count to fund operations, the company has spent the past two years reversing dilution, tightening its capital structure, and shrinking both its outstanding and authorized shares.

The Inflection Point: October 2023

The most consequential event in Earth Science Tech’s recent capital history is not tied to revenue or an acquisition announcement, but to a single issuance date. According to SEC filings, the last issuance of common stock occurred in October 2023 and was made to an employee. Since that point, the company has issued no additional common shares.

That pause has now extended across multiple reporting periods, including a phase marked by operational expansion and subsidiary integration. During that time, Earth Science Tech funded its activities through operating cash flow rather than equity issuance, effectively halting the incremental share count expansion that characterizes much of the microcap landscape.

From Neutral to Reverse: The Buyback Strategy

In early 2024, the company shifted from simply holding the line on dilution to actively reducing its share count. On January 29, 2024, Earth Science Tech initiated a share repurchase program, signaling a fundamental change in capital allocation priorities.

The program was later expanded by the board in August 2025, increasing the authorized repurchase amount to $10 million and extending the program through December 2027. Public filings confirm that more than 20 million shares have already been repurchased and retired.

This approach creates a structural dynamic that differs meaningfully from typical OTC issuers. While many companies rely on equity issuance to bridge operating gaps, Earth Science Tech has chosen to return capital to shareholders by reducing the public float, allowing operating performance to accrue to a smaller base of outstanding shares.

Reducing the Ceiling, Not Just the Float

Beyond buybacks, Earth Science Tech has taken the less common step of reducing its authorized share count, a move that permanently constrains future dilution.

In 2024, the company amended its Articles of Incorporation to reduce authorized common shares from 750 million to 350 million, eliminating more than half of the potential share supply in a single action. The following year, management further reduced the authorized count to 300 million shares.

This two-stage reduction is notable not only for its scale, but for its implications. Authorized shares represent a company’s maximum potential equity issuance capacity. By lowering that ceiling, Earth Science Tech has legally limited its ability to issue new shares, signaling confidence that future capital needs can be met without relying on equity markets.

Alignment and Ownership Structure

Management ownership further reinforces the capital discipline narrative. Insiders collectively hold approximately 47% of the outstanding shares, representing roughly 138.6 million shares, and filings indicate continued open-market purchases.

This ownership concentration aligns management incentives with long-term per-share value creation rather than short-term financing flexibility. Combined with the absence of recent dilution, it places Earth Science Tech in a distinct minority among OTC-listed companies.

Operating Platform Overview

Earth Science Tech operates as a strategic holding company with controlling interests across several healthcare-related verticals. Its portfolio includes compounding pharmaceuticals, telemedicine platforms, healthcare services, and real estate development.

Subsidiaries include RxCompoundStore.com, a licensed compounding pharmacy operating across multiple states; telemedicine platforms such as Peaks Curative, DOConsultations, and Las Villas Health Care, which serve both English- and Spanish-speaking patient populations; Mister Meds, a physician-founded pharmacy focused on wellness medicine; and Avenvi, a real estate development firm. The company also holds an 80% interest in MagneChef, a direct-to-consumer brand with proprietary intellectual property.

A Structural Outlier in the OTC Market

Viewed collectively, the numbers tell a clear story. No new shares have been issued since October 2023. Ongoing share repurchases, reducing the float. Authorized shares cut from 750 million to 300 million. Significant insider ownership.

In a market where dilution is often assumed, Earth Science Tech has instead engineered structural scarcity in its equity. Whether that approach translates into long-term shareholder value will ultimately depend on operational execution, but from a capital structure standpoint, the company has already distinguished itself by doing what few OTC issuers attempt, and even fewer sustain.

For more information, visit EarthScienceTech.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to ETST are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ETST

• LIXTE’s lead compound, LB-100, targets PP2A, a central regulator of cancer cell survival and treatment resistance
• Clinical programs are designed to enhance existing immunotherapies and chemotherapies rather than replace them
• Multiple active trials across ovarian clear cell cancer, colon cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma support a platform approach

Despite decades of progress in oncology, many cancers remain resistant to treatment, not because therapies are unavailable, but because tumor cells adapt. Immunotherapies and chemotherapies can produce meaningful responses, yet durability and consistency remain challenges, particularly in aggressive or rare cancer subtypes. Increasingly, research is shifting toward approaches that improve how well existing treatments work, rather than introducing entirely new drugs.

That strategy defines LIXTE Biotechnology Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LIXT), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on enhancing established cancer therapies by targeting a fundamental biological pathway involved in tumor survival and resistance. Rather than developing standalone treatments, LIXTE is advancing a first-in-class approach designed to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and immunotherapy across multiple cancer indications.

Targeting PP2A: A Central Control Point

At the center of LIXTE’s strategy is protein phosphatase 2A, or PP2A, an enzyme that plays a critical role in regulating cell growth, DNA repair, and survival signaling. In many cancers, PP2A activity enables tumor cells to recover from the damage caused by treatment, contributing to resistance and disease progression.

LIXTE’s proprietary compound, LB-100, is a small-molecule PP2A inhibitor designed to temporarily disrupt these repair mechanisms at the moment when cancer cells are exposed to therapy. Preclinical research cited in the company’s presentation shows that this disruption can make tumor cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy and immunotherapy, increasing treatment effectiveness without introducing a new cytotoxic agent.

Importantly, LB-100 is not intended to act alone. Its role is to enhance existing treatments, aligning development with current standards of care and potentially simplifying clinical integration if efficacy is demonstrated.

A Safety Profile That Enables Combination Use

One of the key challenges in combination of oncology therapies is toxicity. According to LIXTE’s corporate materials, LB-100 has demonstrated a promising safety profile across two Phase 1 clinical trials, with doses associated with anti-cancer activity being well tolerated in patients.

The compound has also been supported by more than 25 published studies documenting anti-cancer activity across multiple tumor types. Manufacturing considerations are addressed through GMP production, and regulatory milestones include active IND status with the FDA and investigational approval in Europe.

This safety foundation is critical, as it allows LB-100 to be tested alongside immunotherapies and chemotherapies without compounding toxicity risk, a requirement for any enhancer-based oncology strategy.

Focus on Ovarian Clear Cell Cancer

LIXTE’s most advanced clinical program targets ovarian clear cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive subtype of ovarian cancer known for poor responses to standard treatments. The company is conducting a Phase 1b/2 trial combining LB-100 with dostarlimab, a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor.

The trial is sponsored by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, with GSK providing support for the immunotherapy component. A second site was added at Northwestern University’s Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, expanding enrollment capacity and geographic reach.

In December 2025, LIXTE announced plans to double enrollment from 21 to 42 patients, following successful completion of the initial cohort. Data from the first 21 patients is expected in the first half of 2026, representing a near-term clinical milestone.

Expanding Across Multiple Cancer Types

Beyond ovarian cancer, LIXTE is advancing additional clinical programs that apply the same PP2A-inhibition strategy across different tumor environments.

A metastatic MSI-low colon cancer trial is underway in collaboration with the Netherlands Cancer Institute and Roche, exploring whether LB-100 can convert immunologically “cold” tumors into ones that respond to immunotherapy. The trial design reflects preclinical findings that PP2A inhibition may increase neoantigen production and immune system engagement.

LIXTE has also completed enrollment in a Phase 1 study combining LB-100 with doxorubicin in advanced soft tissue sarcoma, a cancer with limited treatment advances over the past several decades. Results from this program are expected to provide additional insight into LB-100’s role alongside chemotherapy.

A Platform, Not a Single Asset

Taken together, LIXTE’s programs suggest a platform approach rather than a single-indication bet. Each trial tests the same biological hypothesis: that temporary PP2A inhibition can improve outcomes by weakening cancer cells’ defenses against therapy.

The company’s advisory network includes established oncology researchers and its clinical collaborations with institutions such as MD Anderson, Northwestern, and international cancer centers provide external validation of both the science and trial design.

Looking Ahead

LIXTE’s development path remains subject to the inherent risks of clinical-stage oncology, including trial outcomes and regulatory timelines. However, its focus on enhancing existing therapies positions the company within a growing segment of oncology research aimed at improving durability and response rather than reinventing treatment entirely.

As clinical data begins to emerge in 2026, those results will be central to determining whether PP2A inhibition can fulfill its promise as a broadly applicable enhancer across multiple cancer types.

For more information, visit the company website at https://lixte.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LIXT are available in the company’s newsroom at ibn.fm/LIXT

• A Fox Business report offers a snapshot of how quickly robotics are moving into real-world operations
• Recent company updates reinforce that TechForce is focused on scaling, not just showcasing technology
• The company has outlined a manufacturing scale strategy tied to a broader roadmap, including scaling RaaS, expanding partnerships and supporting broader rollouts

When businesses cannot hire fast enough to keep operations running smoothly, the labor shortage stops being an abstract economic statistic and becomes a daily bottleneck that customers can feel. That pressure is now pushing service robots from novelty to necessity, as companies look for practical ways to keep facilities clean, move goods and maintain throughput without burning out scarce staff. Nightfood Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: NGTF), doing business as TechForce Robotics, is positioning itself for this moment by scaling an AI-driven service robotics platform built to take on repetitive, labor-intensive work that is increasingly difficult to fill with human labor.

A recent Fox Business report offers a snapshot of how quickly robotics is moving into real-world operations. The story profiles RobotLAB, a Texas-headquartered company with 36 locations across the United States and a catalog of more than 50 robot types, ranging from cleaning and customer-service units to security robots. The report describes robots being used across settings as varied as nursing homes, restaurants, hotels, warehouses and even emergency response scenarios, illustrating a key shift: Many organizations are no longer experimenting with robots for fun, they are deploying them to solve specific operational shortages.

The Fox Business piece also highlights why cleaning robots have become one of the most popular categories. The report notes that cleaning robots can cover extremely large footprints every day, and that hospitals, airports and supermarkets are adopting robots as they search for dependable ways to maintain standards despite staffing constraints. Fox frames the business case in plain terms: robots can take on “jobs that no one else wants to do,” allowing owners to keep operating even when hiring is difficult. The story also points to accelerating progress in humanoid robotics, observing that improvements in hardware and software are making robots more capable of understanding environments and performing complex tasks, which could expand the scope of automation over the next decade.

That is the context in which TechForce Robotics are focused. The company describes itself as an emerging robotics platform focused on deploying AI-powered automation across multiple industries, with hospitality as its initial sector of entry. The rationale maps closely to the labor-gap reality described in the Fox Business report. TechForce says its Robotics-as-a-Service (“RaaS”) approach is designed to address repetitive, labor-intensive tasks and other roles that are increasingly difficult for staff. Instead of treating robots as one-off equipment purchases, the RaaS model is positioned as an operating solution, with deployments designed to improve reliability and performance for customers while aligning ongoing service with recurring revenue.

Recent company updates reinforce that TechForce is focused on scaling, not just showcasing technology. In a December 2025 announcement, the company outlined a manufacturing scale strategy tied to its broader roadmap, including scaling Robotics-as-a-Service deployments, expanding enterprise partnerships and supporting broader rollouts across hospitality, food service, airports, venues and other large-footprint environments. The same release describes a vertically integrated model that combines robotics technology, real-world operating environments and scalable manufacturing, a structure meant to accelerate adoption as customer interest grows.

TechForce has also been developing new proprietary systems aimed at high-volume, labor-stressed environments. In another December 2025 release, the company announced a proprietary beverage-dispensing robotic platform called the Beverage Bot, designed to reduce wait times and capture revenue that can be lost when demand exceeds human staffing capacity during peak periods. The company describes the Beverage Bot as internally developed and intended to materially increase throughput in high-traffic venues, positioning it as a tool for both labor substitution and revenue optimization.

With labor constraints pushing robots into mainstream adoption, TechForce Robotics are committed to execution: scaling deployments, building repeatable customer outcomes and expanding product capability in ways that solve real bottlenecks. As the company works to deliver consistent performance through its Robotics-as-a-Service approach while scaling manufacturing and broadening its proprietary platform, it stands to benefit from a world that is quickly learning the same lesson across sectors: When labor is scarce and demand is rising, smart automation becomes the growth plan.

For more information, visit the company’s website at TechForceRobotics.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NGTF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/NGTF