Stocks To Buy Now Blog

All posts by Christopher

Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (GRYN) Expanding Potential for Big Tobacco to enter CBD Cigarette Market

  • While more research is needed, a recent study provides some evidence that using CBD to transition from tobacco addiction holds significant promise
  • Supply chain issues are the main barrier to entry to the CBD cigarette industry for big tobacco
  • GRYN already owns the largest single industrial hemp for CBD farm in North America
Big tobacco companies are already making strategic moves into the fast-growing hemp industry, as they are exploring hemp-based alternatives to tobacco. To make this move, they require a very large supply of quality industrial hemp from which they can derive the targeted CBD products, more specifically quality hemp biomass and flower to make CBD cigarettes. There is an emerging trend to replace smoking tobacco with smoking hemp flower. The goal is to ease the conversion from tobacco, with its addictive and negative health effects, to CBD cigarettes as a transition cigarette. While there is yet limited research providing enough evidence that CBD can sufficiently ease tobacco addiction, the results of one recent study provide anecdotal evidence that CBD may positively affect addiction. The study included 700 participants who were asked to inhale/consume CBD when they felt the urge to smoke. 42% of the participants were able to abstain from smoking cigarettes after one month of consuming CBD. This particular study was not conducted in a controlled environment and relied solely on the data provided by the participants (https://ibn.fm/6IVfz). Another concern for big tobacco companies interested in the hemp space is the quality of soil, as soil contamination, caused by poor farming practices in the past, is considered an issue, primarily in Europe and the Eastern parts of the United States. Green Hygienics Holdings (OTCQB: GRYN) addresses this problem as well. The soils on its’ 824-acre Sol Valley Ranch are pristine, which is a critical factor in supply chain requirements. With the capability of ensuring a steady supply of quality hemp, GRYN is one of the few companies that has the ability to supply big tobacco and is set to leverage multiple growth opportunities resulting from a growing demand for hemp in North America following the entry of big tobacco companies into the market. Additionally, Green Hygienics’ U.S. Food and Drug Administration registration as of August 26, 2020, also opens up more expansive growth opportunities for the company, allowing it to supply hemp to various industries, including tobacco. Green Hygienics is uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for hemp resulting from big tobacco entering the market. There are only a handful of companies in the entire industry that have the capacity to meet this kind of demand. CEO Ron Loudoun discussed the company’s growth plans in more detail when he was featured on the Bell2Bell podcast at the end of March (https://ibn.fm/fPFMp). For more information, visit the company’s website at www.GreenHygienics.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to GRYN are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/GRYN

Sonoma Biologics Corp. Is ‘One to Watch’

  • An ultra-premium cannabis grower for the medicinal and recreational cannabis markets in California, Sonoma Biologics Corp. is committed to using only organic-equivalent outdoor growing techniques to cultivate its cannabis product at a fraction of the cost of its competitors
  • Sonoma Biologics’ target locations cover three well-known wine country counties, offering considerable branding opportunities
  • The global market for legal cannabis is expected to reach $84 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 14.3% from 2021 to 2028
  • The California market for cannabis is expected to reach $6 billion by 2025 and account for roughly a sixth of all legal cannabis sales in the United States
  • Sonoma Biologics’ seasoned management team is highly skilled at handling large commercial farming operations
Sonoma Biologics is an ultra-premium cannabis grower focused on the medicinal and recreational cannabis markets. The company’s business model includes acquiring additional farming/cultivation properties in the prestigious wine counties of California, as well as continuing to enter into joint ventures and revenue sharing cultivation opportunities with other landowners/farmers/vineyards. The company’s goal is to become one of the largest organic-equivalent, environmentally friendly cannabis suppliers in northern California. Sonoma Biologics’ use of solar power in its low cost, highly efficient growth processes exemplifies the company’s commitment to having as close to zero environmental impact as possible. The company currently holds local and state cannabis cultivation licenses for its existing facilities. Since entering the cannabis industry, Sonoma Biologics products have passed stringent California quality control laboratory testing each year. The company exclusively adheres to organic cultivation methods, reinforcing its commitment to yielding the highest quality cannabis. Sonoma Biologics is currently prepping to certify with the State of California’s comparable-to-organic cannabis standards. The OCal Program will ensure that cannabis products bearing the OCal seal have been certified to consistent, uniform standards comparable to the National Organic Program. Current Operations Sonoma Biologics has been cultivating premium cannabis outdoors for the last four years, taking advantage of the favorable climate in its operating region. The company is currently aggressively expanding its model. As the California weather minimizes the need for climate control technology and artificial lighting, the company boasts a significantly lower cost of production when compared to both indoor and outdoor grow operations in areas with less suitable climates. The company pours its efforts into screening and optimizing specific genetic strains that grow the best in local farming conditions, thereby maximizing its yields and taking full advantage of the well-known benefits of the Sonoma soils. Locations Sonoma Biologics’ target locations span three well-known wine country counties in California: Sonoma County, Mendocino County and Lake County. The company’s current locations in Sonoma County provide for up to two acres of outdoor cultivation (pending licensing and county regulations). The company has a Mendocino joint venture (“JV”) agreement, which, when completed, will expand its overall cannabis related assets and operations. The joint venture provides the company with additional licensed cultivation, licensed nursery operation, potential dispensary (pending licensing) and employees. Manufacturing Highlights of the company’s manufacturing capabilities with the JV include:
  • An existing 5,000 square foot warehouse currently being built out to facilitate manufacturing and distribution and
  • Additional proposed facilities to manufacture cannabis-related products.
With applications for manufacturing currently in process, these facilities offer further scalability opportunities for the company. Additionally, the Anderson Valley location can intake surplus cannabis from numerous licensed farms in the region and focus on “onsite” and “managed” streams for superior economics. Investing in California Cannabis Sonoma Biologics is currently accepting investments from accredited investors under Rule 506(c) of Regulation D. The minimum investment amount is $5,000 per investor, with the overall goal of raising $10 million. The company is also preparing a Reg A+ filing with the SEC for summer 2021. In alignment with its environmentally low impact business strategy, the company has created a streamlined, completely paperless online subscription process for investors. The company offers those looking to invest in California-grown cannabis the opportunity to invest at an attractive valuation. Sonoma Biologics’ operations are large-scale, low-cost and managed by industry leaders with experience in large-scale farming, making the company an attractive investment opportunity in the expanding cannabis market in California and worldwide. The global legal cannabis market is estimated to reach $84 billion by 2028, expanding at a CAGR of 14.3% from 2021 to 2028 (https://ibn.fm/xSpyM). Of the $24.6 billion in global cannabis industry revenue reported in 2020, 60.3% was attributed to the recreational adult-use segment. Furthermore, 91.1% of the revenue can be attributed to North America, spurred by early legalization of medical and recreational cannabis in a number of jurisdictions (https://ibn.fm/3Nn42). The California market for cannabis is expected to reach $6 billion by 2025 and account for roughly a sixth of all legal cannabis sales in the United States (https://ibn.fm/ugi3q). Management Team Paul Caracciolo is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Sonoma Biologics Corp. He has a Master’s in Biochemistry from the University of Colorado. After obtaining his degree, he developed human-grade biopharmaceuticals for a company that was eventually acquired by Amgen. Mr. Caracciolo has spent much of his career in the health care industry, holding positions such as Chief Technology Officer for Dignity Health, Duke University Health System and Stanford’s Hospitals and Clinics. In 2008, Mr. Caracciolo and his wife, Margaret, founded Mill Station Vineyards. Mill Station spans 8.5 acres of ultra-premium Pinot Noir grapes, sold and used in some of the most coveted Pinot Noir blends in the Russian River Valley. Hal Reuling is the owner of the Anderson Valley Property. He has a long history of real estate development and management projects, from inception to realization. He began his career as a general contractor in Colorado, establishing Bluefootprint Construction and specializing in single-family and custom-built homes. Mr. Reuling’s next venture took him to Florida, where he developed raw land parcels into subdivisions. In 2007, he moved to Northern California to capitalize on property development, including that of the cannabis industry. Durango Organics approached Mr. Reuling in 2015 to design and build a 20,000 square foot fully integrated cultivation facility. More recently, he developed a 110-acre, 11-lot cultivation site in Southern Colorado. He purchased the Anderson Valley Property in 2016 as California began passing cannabis laws. Now, it is being used for co-developing into cultivation, nursery and manufacturing. Directors Alexander Somjen, Director, has extensive experience serving as an officer and director of publicly listed and privately held companies. Since December 2019, he has served as President of Hollister Cannabis Inc., a diversified, multi-state cannabis company whose securities are quoted on the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) and the OTC Pink Market maintained by OTC Markets. Hollister provides manufacturing and white label services to help build new brands and support influencers and is also involved with the manufacturing of various cannabis related products (such as pre rolls, capsules and vape formulation). Additionally, since January 2018, he served as President and CEO of Global Care Capital Inc. (formerly Rescinco Capital Partners Inc.), whose securities are quoted on the CSE and the OTC Pink Market. Global Care Capital is a global investment company which specializes in providing early-stage financing to private and public companies. Global Care Capital also has a sector focus on cannabis pharmaceutical opportunities. Mr. Somjen was Vice President of Capital Structure Products at Desjardins Capital Markets from January 2015 to January 2018, where he served as the co-head of the Capital Structure Products desk and advised issuers (namely banks) on subordinated debt and hybrid and preferred share markets. He held other roles with Desjardins Capital Markets from January 2008 to January 2015, including serving as an associate in the fixed income group (January 2012 to January 2015) and as a trader in the fixed income group (January 2008 to January 2012). Mr. Somjen received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Toronto and is working to obtain an Executive MBA from the Instituto de Empresa Business School (“IE”) in Madrid, Spain. Robert Metcalfe, Director, has been a partner at the law firm of Metcalfe, Blainey & Burns LLP since 2001. Prior to that he was a senior partner with the law firm of Lang Michener LLP for 20 years. He is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Armadale Properties and counsel to all the Armadale Group of Companies, which boasts significant holdings across numerous industries including finance, construction of office buildings, airport ownership and management, land development and automotive dealerships, as well as newspaper publishing, radio and television stations. Mr. Metcalfe was a director of Canada Lands Company Ltd., one of the largest real estate corporations in Canada, and was a director and Chairman of the Board of CN Tower Ltd., the tallest communications structure in the world. Throughout his career, Mr. Metcalfe has served as a director of numerous public and private corporations and currently serves as director of publicly listed companies Gran Colombia Gold Corp., (Director and Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, as well as a member of the Audit Committee); Xinergy Corp. (Lead Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee); Alberta Oil Sands (Director and Chairman of the Board); Agility Health Inc. (Chairman of the Compensation Committee and member of the Audit Committee); and Ivernia Inc. (Member of the Audit Committee, Member of the Corporate Governance Committee and Chairman of the Compensation Committee). As a director and shareholder, Mr. Metcalfe has been engaged in numerous acquisitions, divestitures, corporate financing and corporate improvements, as well as serving on special committees across many sectors. He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and a member in good standing of the Law Society of Upper Canada. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.OwnSonomaBiologics.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Sonoma are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/Sonoma

Knightscope Security Robots Log More Than a Million Hours in Crime-prevention Service

  • California-based Knightscope is the developer of three models of autonomous security robots (ASRs) that help make clients’ workplaces safer
  • Knightscope has logged more than a million hours of services for its clients, including live-stream video and data transmission detection, thermal source recognition and remote communication technologies
  • The robots provide a crime-deterrence presence but are themselves non-threatening, even pausing in their duties so visitors can take selfies with them
  • Through the varied capabilities of AI and machine-learning solutions, Knightscope’s autonomous robots help fulfill the company’s mission of making the United States the safest country in the world
Now more than eight years since its founding in April 2013, autonomous security robot (“ASR”) developer Knightscope is celebrating the backing of over 24,000 investors. The company has logged more than a million hours of serving paying clients with its ASRs that provide unsleeping vigilance in offices, parking lots and sidewalks around buildings. The security robots can provide a host of smart tech solutions for clients, ranging from live stream video of situations the ASRs encounter shown from 360 degrees of camera angles to recognizing and monitoring data communications transmissions for anticipated concerns. The robots’ heat and thermal energy sensors have proven useful in detecting potential fire starts and have been touted as being able to scan arriving visitors for fevers that might indicate concern during the ongoing pandemic. “For some of our customers, the security team takes a guarded approach (pardon the pun!) to sharing information and prefers to keep their tools, tactics, etc., out of the public eye, which is completely understandable given their mission,” one company blog states (https://ibn.fm/gGz9O). “Of course, there are reasons for that,” the blog continues. “If a robot was only capturing video all day long, it might be difficult to try to identify bad behavior, so not so worrisome for a criminal. On the other hand, if a robot with the exact same outward appearance in the same location also has the capability to detect the face of that criminal (that was previously blacklisted by the client) and can tell that their phone has been at this location 5 times in the past 5 days after midnight matching the same blacklisted license plate, now the security team’s odds of catching this criminal go up significantly. … CRIMINALS BEWARE: it is safe to assume that the security robot you are looking at has a ton of sensors on it, a good amount of artificial intelligence and is getting smarter over time.” Through it all, the robots are designed to be non-threatening physically, and perhaps even friendly. Clients have often made naming their ASRs a part of their unveiling ceremonies to give them a more personalized, coworker feel. For any company, finding the right employee to fit the office’s culture and team personality can be almost as important as determining a job candidate’s skill levels. “Hiring the right team member will have tremendous impact on driving successful initiatives, creating team harmony and elevating the status of your function. A poor match, however, can decrease the team’s productivity and even worse, erode both the trust and confidence your organization has in you and your team,” Kristine Raad, Owens Corning’s director of Global Security, stated in a recent Security magazine interview (https://ibn.fm/FjCbl). The magazine noted that a bad hire can cost the organization up to 30 percent of the employee’s first-year earnings, or upwards of $240,000 depending on the position. Knightscope’s creative team developed a human resources and recruitment type of model to showcase the capabilities and attributes of its outdoor-roving model in the form of a CV that even includes the robots’ hobbies — providing evidence for prosecuting criminals, deterring vagrancy, preventing vehicle break-ins and working the full-time equivalent of 4.2 employees. “And it does so all while taking the occasional time-out with an adoring fans for a quick robot selfie,” the company notes (https://ibn.fm/FFdbN). For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Knightscope.com. Visit www.Knightscope.com/invest for a summary of Knightscope as an investment, with a blue Instant Messaging button for direct contact with their CEO. DISCLAIMER: You should read the Offering Circular and risks related to this offering before investing. This Reg A+ offering is made available through StartEngine Primary, LLC. This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Knightscope are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/Knight

Splash Beverage Group Inc. (SBEV) Benefits From Strongest U.S. Distilled Spirits Growth Rate in 18 years

  • The North American liquor industry benefitted from a surge in revenue growth in 2020, in spite of widespread restaurant, bar closures
  • U.S. distilled spirits gross revenues rose by 7.7% last year, the biggest percentage increase in 18 years with sales of tequila rising by 17.4% YoY
  • Splash Beverage Group has benefitted from industry’s growth trends, seeing its quarterly sales growth soar nearly 10-fold between Q1-Q42020
  • Splash Beverage has looked to diversify its product portfolio to benefit from ‘off-premise’ sales, including through recent acquisition of ‘Copa Di Vino’
With restaurants and bars shut across much of the United States for the majority of 2020, it would be only natural to assume that the North American liquor industry would have suffered alongside it; a study carried out in 2018 showed that on-premise alcoholic sales in establishments such as bars or restaurants accounted for over a gargantuan $147 billion in sales or 53% of total US alcohol revenues (https://ibn.fm/XpR0i). However, the experience over the past 12 months has been anything but normal. Splash Beverage Group (OTCQB: SBEV), a holding company for a leading portfolio of beverage companies, has been one of the players confounding expectations, having reported cumulative sales of $2.975 million in 2020 – while simultaneously seeing quarterly sales rise nearly tenfold between the first and fourth quarter of the year (https://ibn.fm/Avxhb). Though impressive, Splash Beverage Group’s strong results may not have come to fruition without the supportive underlying trends witnessed within the U.S. alcoholic beverage industry. The United States Distilled Spirits Council reported that U.S. distilled spirits gross revenues rose by 7.7 percent in 2020, the biggest percentage increase in 18 years and the biggest dollar increase on record (https://ibn.fm/lxJOd). Although restaurant and bar closures contributed to a decline in alcoholic beverage sales during the spring of 2020, monthly consumer spending data showed that a rebound in retail sales combined with a partial recovery in bar and restaurant beverage sales (assisted by several states changing liquor laws to allow them to sell take-away beverages) had driven overall sales higher by the summer (https://ibn.fm/vpTHE). There was also a notable shift in the type of alcohol being demanding. Whereas the volume of cordials (i.e., liqueurs, amari, etc.) sold declined by 1.8% last year as bars purchased fewer mixers for their cocktails, sales of tequila and mezcal soared, with the alcohol sub-category seeing total sales rise by 17.4% in 2020. Splash Beverage was a particular beneficiary of the trend through increased sales of its SALT Naturally Flavored Tequila brand. With social distancing regulations still in force across much of the nation, Splash Beverage has sought to increase its emphasis on off-premise channel initiatives as a way to boost revenues for the group. In addition to announcing that its SALT Naturally Flavored tequila had been approved by Walmart in August of last year (https://ibn.fm/SMmkN), Splash Beverage recently completed the acquisition of Copa Di Vino, the nation’s largest ‘wine by the glass’ manufacturer. The company boasts a retail distribution footprint amounting to over 13 thousand outlets across the country (https://ibn.fm/3BKnD). “Due to the conditions of the current pandemic and social distancing, our primary focus remains on off-premise channel initiatives and we are enjoying growth here,” said Splash Beverage CEO Robert Nistico regarding the company’s recent strategic moves. “We anticipate as bars, restaurants and hotels begin to open, we will experience growth with our relationships in on premise channels.” For more information, visit the company’s website at www.SplashBeverageGroup.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SBEV are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SBEV

Ideanomics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDEX) Releases 2020 Financial Results, Appoints Chief Revenue Officer to Help Drive Long-Term Growth

  • EV (electric vehicle) revenues amounted to $19.5 million in 2020, growing 600+ percent from $2.7 million in 2019
  • First sales of battery and charging systems also drove revenue in 2020 and are expected to continue growing this year following the acquisition of WAVE
  • New Chief Revenue Officer Kristen Helsel has a proven track record in growing revenues in the automotive and energy management industries and will play an instrumental role in driving the company’s growth, performance and strategy

Ideanomics (NASDAQ: IDEX), a global company focused on enabling the widespread adoption of commercial electric vehicles and associated energy consumption, finished 2020 with significant resources available to drive long-term growth plans and substantially higher EV revenue than in 2019, in spite of the pandemic.

In an earnings release conference call on March 31, the Ideanomics management revealed the full operating results for the year 2020 and provided selected business highlights and updates, including the company’s progress in its Mobility unit activities as a result of its Sales 2 Financing 2 Charging (S2F2C) business model gaining traction in the EV industry (https://ibn.fm/aXDDW).

According to the official financial results, the company’s total revenue for 2020 amounted to $26.8 million, growing sequentially quarter over quarter, demonstrating the growing strength of the Ideanomics model. Gross profit was $2.1 million, which represented a gross margin of 7.7 percent.

Ideanomics is currently generating revenue from its S2F2C business model, which includes three operating features:

  1. Vehicle and Battery Sales – Medici, Treeletrik, Energica, and Solectrac cover the three market segments for the company
  2. Financing, Leasing, and Insurance – Financial services to fleet customers, commission-based delivery, and origination-fee based revenue
  3. Charging and Energy Services – Charging as a service, battery swap programs, and WAVE wireless charging

Most of the total revenue reported for 2020 came from EV operations – more specifically, $19.5 million compared to $2.7 million in 2019, marking an increase of more than 600 percent. In 2020, revenues also included the company’s first sales of battery and charging systems, a major part of the EV ecosystem and Ideanomics’ S2F2C model. Revenues from charging systems are expected to continue growing following the acquisition of inductive charging business WAVE in January 2021, which will be included in the company’s financial results as of the current quarter.

Other key highlights mentioned during the earnings conference call included the acquisition of cash flow positive Timios Holding Corp. under the company’s Capital division in January 2021, investments in leading electric tractor company Solectrac in October 2020 and a purchase agreement with MEG for 2,000 units of D1, a custom electric ride-hailing vehicle, in December 2020.

“We are very pleased with the transformation that took place this past year,” said CEO Alf Poor said. “Despite a year highlighted by COVID-19, we were able to build the groundwork for 2021 and beyond for Ideanomics and we are excited for what the future holds with our recent activity across the EV ecosystem and developments in EV charging infrastructure.”

To further drive its long-term growth, performance and strategy plans and align the activity of its revenue-generating departments, Ideanomics has appointed Kristen Helsel, a proven executive with 20+ years of experience, as Chief Revenue Officer. Throughout her career, Helsel has amassed significant experience growing new business around disruptive technologies by identifying new lucrative deals, while also delivering strong P&L results and combining financial and busines strategies with technical execution for short and long-term gains (https://ibn.fm/lYon2).

Helsel has a proven track record for growing revenues in the automotive and energy management industries and building and leading high-performing sales teams. She has extensive experience in the renewable energy and tech fields, as before joining Ideanomics, she was a partner for DKS Investments, acting as a consultant for organizations in markets such as solar energy and storage, EV charging, robotics, drones, and more. She was also named one of the “Electrifying 100: the 100 Most Influential People” in the EV industry by Automotive News.

Helsel voiced excitement for the new position and her future work to help accelerate the growth of Ideanomics and commercial EV adoption. “I was attracted by the company’s global vision and progress as a leader in the fast-growing commercial EV market, and I am looking forward to leading Ideanomics revenue development as the business continues to scale,” she said.

“We are excited to bring someone on board with experience at the intersection between automotive and energy that is essential to successful EV adoption. Kristen joins Ideanomics at an important time when we are poised for growth in all of our markets,” Poor explained.

The Ideanomics Mobility division is part of a global commercial EV market expected to reach $132.73 billion by 2022, growing at an impressive CAGR of 39.9% from the $34.7 billion value reported in 2018 (https://ibn.fm/icXmZ). Grand View Research projects the global EV charging infrastructure is also expected to grow exponentially, at a rate of 33.4%, to reach $144.97 billion in 2028. The growth of the EV industry is expected to be driven by an increasing interest and support from the public, as more people are looking for a clean alternative to fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

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

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

FingerMotion Inc. (FNGR) Reports Ongoing Revenue Records and Efforts to Build Mobile Services in China

  • U.S.-based FingerMotion is a communications insurtech services company experiencing steady growth as it rolls out novel mobile solutions for its China-centric clients
  • FingerMotion reported record revenues of $4.88 million for Q3 and nine months’ revenues of $11.25 million, with year-end reporting expected by the end of May
  • The company is rapidly building a highly engaged user base for its texting and e-commerce solutions, aiming to use its success to launch into even larger user bases
  • FingerMotion’s Sapientus division has developed a powerful predictive database for consumer profiles that the company is using to attract B2B clients

Evolving communications and insurance tech company FingerMotion (OTCQX: FNGR) is pursuing the enormous, rapidly growing market for smart solutions in China. FingerMotion is a U.S-based company building on its mobile payment and mobile phone recharge platform IP for the international market, with a vision of acquiring service for more than a billion customers in China.

CEO Martin Shen provided an update on the company’s activities last month following the year-end close of the company’s fiscal cycle in February, noting that every quarter up through Q3 in November reported record revenues.

“Based on our results from the nine months ended Nov. 30, we are on pace to surpass $16 million in revenue for the fiscal year ended Feb. 28, 2021,” Shen said in the video update (https://ibn.fm/psNn5). “It is a testament to our team’s hard work that we have been able to reach such significant heights.”

Working with three major platform partners — Alibaba’s (NYSE: BABA) TMALL sites, PinDuoDuo (NYSE: PDD) and JD.com (NASDAQ: JD) — FingerMotion is working through China Unicom’s (NYSE: CHU) e-commerce portals to quickly build a large number of users comprising a highly engaged ecosystem that will help position the company strategically to onboard larger customer bases for its innovative applications with a minimum of capital resources.

“And as we also manage all three major telecom portals, we have the potential unfettered access to as many as 1.6 billion users. In comparison to the other e-commerce companies who devote a significant portion of their annual budget just to keep their user base engaged, our competitive advantage is that it is not our obligation to maintain the user base. Our job is to monetize it,” Shen said.

The company’s offerings are divided between telecommunications products and services, short message service (“SMS”) and multimedia messaging service (“MMS”) texting applications, big data insights and rich communication services (“RCS”).

FingerMotion’s big data analytics service operating through its Sapientus database led to an agreement with Pacific Life Re-insurance that will help Pacific Life enhance its insurance solutions and develop predictive information regarding its clients.

“We look to build strong forays into the insurtech space,” Shen said. “We believe other re-insurance companies will look to develop a similar model with us. By remaining non-exclusive and offering similar services to other companies in other insurance sectors we believe we have the potential to be the most disruptive technology in insurance today.”

The database could eventually lead FingerMotion to provide predictive services for other market sectors such as health care, financial services and consumer e-commerce applications.

China constitutes the largest e-commerce market with the largest mobile device user base in the world but Shen noted that once the company’s services are developed, it expects to expand its reach outside China as well.

Shen said the company expects to file its annual 10K report by the end of May.

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

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

Nextech AR Solutions Corp. (CSE: NTAR) (OTCQB: NEXCF) Delivers AR Business Solutions with New Self-directed Event Focus

  • Nextech AR Solutions anticipates that livestreaming will continue to be a popular B2B tool and means of marketing products in a post-COVID economy
  • Nextech is rolling out tech solutions that show the potential of augmented reality (“AR”) to become the logical evolution of livestreaming events
  • The company’s platform includes an app that allows users to receive 3D holographic projections of people and products within their own home or office environment
  • CEO Evan Gappelberg recently conducted the company’s first “Air Side Chat” to discuss use case experiences and the potential of the new self-directed LiveX platform that lets clients design their AR livestream events themselves
The visionaries at augmented reality pioneer Nextech AR Solutions (CSE: NTAR) (OTCQB: NEXCF) are building a future in which advertisers and event organizers will be able to reach their target audience through virtual experiences that are tailor-made to the audience’s interests. Nextech’s most notable advance, perhaps, is its new holographic platform that appears to “beam” a presenter or displays on the presenter’s device into the audience’s environment as a 3D holographic display. At the moment the platform uses ordinary computer display technology without relying on headsets the end user has to wear in order to experience the effect. “Life is complicated. Technology makes life simpler,” Nextech CEO Evan Gappelberg said as he introduced his first “Air Side Chat” on April 6, an updated demonstration of the company’s AiR Show app human hologram livestream launched last month in which Gappelberg discussed product use cases via an iPhone 12 Pro mounted on a tripod, with some lights and a green screen, to create a holographic effect (https://ibn.fm/N29Ou). Detailing the normal process for pitching a new product to a customer, Gappelberg described catching a plane and then a ride-share service in a six-hour trip under COVID protocols with a hotel stay for the night. “Or just livestream. I could livestream in as an AR hologram using Nextech’s technology,” Gappelberg said in a recording of the Air Side Chat, in which he appeared to be standing in an app user’s living room as the camera moved around (https://ibn.fm/tIyPD). “When I think about what we’re doing today with technology, I try and put it into some kind of context, and so I think about newspapers, which was the mass medium for communication for a long time, the telephone, radio, TV. … Livestreaming now is a big deal. AR livestreaming is the natural progression of live-streaming.” Gappelberg introduced the company’s latest digital experience platform (“DXP”), an events product called LiveX that combines the company’s AR livestreaming solutions with a new self-directed accessibility that clients can use to fashion their events as they wish. “You don’t need us to build the event for you. You could do it yourself. … That’s something brand new that we did not offer before. What we offered before was a white glove service,” Gappelberg said. “We still have that option. And we still see that as a big part of our business going forward. But there’s another part of the business which is self-serve that we now service.” Gappelberg described the company’s current industry targets as analysts, technology, medical, higher education, retail, e-commerce, finance, and trade shows and conferences. Retailers could demonstrate products through a 3D holographic presentation using the company’s ARitize360 AR platform, or restaurants could use the solution to show food being made as a means to help draw in customers, he said. When Canadian trade shows used the company’s AR to enhance the remote access experience during the past year as the pandemic shut down in-person gatherings, “They told us that they had a 200 percent increase in engagement because of these technologies that we supplied them with. They told us that attendance was driven through the immersive use of AR — and not free attendance but paid attendance,” Gappelberg said. The company expects to continue developing the platform with artificial intelligence (“AI”) features that will eliminate the need to rely on green screens and maintain interest in using Nextech’s solutions in the coming post-COVID economy For more information, visit the company’s website at www.NextechAR.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NEXCF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NEXCF

Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE American: UEC) Focused Strategy Means Price Target Increase, Stronger Position in Growing Sector

  • H.C. Wainwright and Co. increase price target, reiterate buy rating for UEC
  • Key moves by company lead to stronger position
  • UEC investing to build next generation of low-cost and environmentally friendly uranium projects that will be competitive on global basis, says CEO
Recent action taken by Uranium Energy (NYSE American: UEC), a U.S.-based uranium mining and exploration company that controls one of the country’s largest historical uranium exploration and development databases, has prompted H.C. Wainwright and Co. to increase its price target for the company and reiterate its buy rating (https://ibn.fm/6wWpO). In its updated report, Wainwright specifically cited three main factors for the increase in price: UEC’s decision to obtain financing to support physical uranium purchases, the establishment of a physical uranium inventory initiative and the restart of wellfield development and definition drilling at the company’s Burke Hollow project. “On March 22, Uranium Energy Corp. (‘UEC’) announced that it had closed an offering for total gross proceeds of $30.5M after issuing 10.0M common shares at a price of $3.05 per share,” the report stated. “These funds are expected to be used for additional uranium purchases, as well as general corporate and working capital requirements. . . . We highlight that UEC’s physical uranium initiative, which we discuss in more detail below, is fully funded with its current cash position, and now includes 1.4M pounds (lbs) of U.S. warehoused uranium. “While the company remains focused on developing its low-cost, in-situ recovery (‘ISR’) mining capabilities, management has identified a unique opportunity to purchase drummed uranium at spot prices well below global industry mining costs,” the report continues. “As a result, UEC is establishing a physical uranium inventory initiative based on an initial agreement with ConverDyn in Illinois to acquire 0.4Mlbs of U.S. warehoused uranium for a total cost of $10.9M. . . . Management anticipates that this initiative can improve its balance sheet through uranium price appreciation and support future marketing efforts with utilities to accelerate cash flows. Looking ahead, this move should also increase the availability of Texas and Wyoming production capacity for emerging U.S. specific opportunities such as the U.S. Uranium Reserve (‘UR’).” Finally, the H.S. Wainwright report stated that “on January 26, UEC announced that the company had commenced production area development at its Burke Hollow ISR project in Texas. We note that advancing and expanding resources is a critical step to supporting the company’s plan to participate in supplying the U.S. UR. The UR includes purchases of newly mined domestic uranium over a 10-year period for an aggregate value of $1.5B. Additionally, the FY21 bipartisan omnibus spending bill currently includes $75M for domestically produced uranium. We highlight that the U.S. Department of Energy is currently developing a plan to implement this program, which UEC expects to be a competitive bid process focused on existing fully permitted and low-cost projects.” As a result of these key factors, H.C. Wainwright and Co. reiterated its buy rating on EUC shares while raising its price target to $5 from $3.60, a move worth noting by one of the country’s oldest and most-trusted financial institutions. UEC is focused on establishing a stronghold in the growing U.S.-based uranium space. “With $65.8 million in cash and equity holdings, UEC has the balance sheet strength to lead U.S. uranium production higher at the most critical time for the domestic industry since the inception of the civilian nuclear power program began in the 1950s,” said UEC CEO and president Amir Adnani (https://ibn.fm/f3N4T). “As a leading pure-play American uranium company, UEC is investing to build the next generation of low-cost and environmentally friendly uranium projects that will be competitive on a global basis.” Uranium Energy Corp. is a U.S.-based uranium mining and exploration company that controls one of the country’s largest historical uranium exploration and development databases. Founded in 2003, UEC is headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas. Properties acquired by the company are primarily located within the United States, including Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Wyoming. In addition, the company is aggressively pursuing other key developmental targets. UEC is poised to be a next-generation uranium producer and is committed to providing low-cost, low-capital fuel for the country’s large electricity-generating nuclear fleet. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.UraniumEnergy.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to UEC are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/UEC

Friendable Inc.’s (FDBL) Fan Pass Livestreaming Platform Experiences Exponential Growth in March 2021

  • Fan Pass launched in July 2020 as a means of bringing a “virtual stage” to fans and giving artists access to the revenue they need, and has since seen remarkable growth
  • Platform reports higher numbers in artist signups, live events and performances and social media engagement every month
  • April’s Artist Contest is incentivizing new artist streaming, offering $25 to the first 25 artists to schedule their first stream
March 2021 was another record month of growth for mobile technology and marketing company Friendable’s (OTC: FDBL) Fan Pass platform, with an 81% increase in artist sign-ups over February, tallying 575 new artist sign-ups versus 317, respectively. Additionally, the live events and performances streamed by the platform doubled, expressing triple-digit percentage growth (https://ibn.fm/yHZB5). Social media reach and engagement also increased across the board, with impressions up by 19% and Live Channels rising to 69%. Facebook reach rose to 120%, with engagement up 19%. Instagram followers, reach, and interactions also showed a double-digit percentage increase. Friendable’s Fan Pass platform launched in July 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an online live streaming concert venue for artists and their fans as an alternative to in-person events. “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we communicate at all levels. Especially the virtual stage, which has demonstrated how effective and far-reaching it can be,” Friendable CEO Robert Rositano, Jr. said. Rositano added that Fan Pass believes this format of engagement is here to stay and will grow into the foreseeable future. “It provides a way for artists at all stages and even local talent to reach audiences far beyond what they could in the past. Fan Pass is well-positioned to assist in the growth of each artist and, in many cases, lead the way to their discovery by millions of fans around the world,” he explained. Artists on the platform earn revenue from fans’ purchases, including subscriptions, merchandise, tickets for exclusive virtual events, and generally from all of the content views or impressions on their channel. Fan Pass allows artists to track their content views and sales through their dashboard, showing real-time payout and earnings information. As an added incentive, monthly contests are also organized with prizes or cash rewards for the artists with the greatest number of live event views. The April Artist Contest is already well underway, with artists already filling up the events calendar – including new artists introducing themselves to the online network. Prizes for the month have changed from those offered in previous months:
  • First Place: Streaming Kit ($450 value) or $350 cash
  • Second Place: Merch Collection ($300 value) or $200 cash
  • Third Place: Custom Design ($100 value) or $50 cash
As a bonus to new artists, the first 25 to schedule, promote, and complete their first stream on Fan Pass will win a $25 prize. Fans who want to subscribe to the platform to watch their favorite artists or discover new ones can subscribe to Fan Pass’s “Virtual Stage” for $3.99 a month or an annual rate of $38.20, saving 20% over paying monthly. A VIP All-Access subscription is available, providing fans with additional content and features, including live performances and online concerts, backstage artist access, livestreamed studio sessions, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of music video or photoshoots, special interviews with artists, and streams that highlight an artist’s daily life. The rapid growth of Fan Pass indicates this model is a successful approach to supporting artists and fans in maintaining engagement in an industry heavily affected by the ongoing pandemic, positioning Friendable in a leading role in the livestreaming industry. Even with venues potentially reopening to artists and fans, the livestreaming industry is expected to remain strong. Fan Pass is leveraging this expectation, offering a platform with exclusive content and pay-per-view concerts that are more affordable than in-person events, all while creating an ecosystem that embraces all kinds of fans, catering to the diehard fans and followers to create lasting connections. The app is available on both Android and Apple stores. For more information, visit the company’s websites at www.Friendable.com or www.FanPassLive.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to FDBL are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/FDBL

Emaginos Inc. Is ‘One to Watch’

  • The Emaginos model does not set out to replace public education with charter schools; instead, it uses a charter to determine the best ways to implement the model among other schools within the public district
  • Emaginos is tackling an exponentially large market, with 98,328 K-12 schools across the nation
  • Emaginos’ program elements touch base on several different public school system areas, including curriculum, teachers, calendar and more
  • The model presents an ongoing revenue structure; districts pay for the Emaginos model and then have an annual subscription cost
  • Implementation of the model within the school incurs minimal costs for Emaginos, allowing for revenue gain from the recurring subscriptions
  • The company’s management team has over 50 years of combined experience in education, including the public K-12 school system
Emaginos Inc. is working to improve the education system of the United States through a commitment to integrated, proven best practices. Opposed to replacing public schools with charter schools, Emaginos believes in restoring neighborhood schools and having them serve as focal points of their communities. Through the company’s model, one school in a district is transformed into a charter. This allows the district to write a separate contract for the teachers in the pilot school. The pilot school incorporates the new model into the community and proves the concept. The lessons learned from this charter are then used to transition the model to the other public schools, adapting them to the model while remaining public. To achieve this transformation, Emaginos provides the schools with a wealth of resources ranging from technology infrastructure to curriculum training. The schools transformed by the model operate with economic efficiencies squarely in mind, resulting in a better educational experience for the same or lower overall cost. The company is a REG-A+ Tier 2 public company raising capital for future development and deployment of its transformational public-school model, with the goal of changing the way public schools approach learning. Emaginos was founded in 2008. Program Elements The Emaginos program provides various elements aimed at making the model successful, including:
  • Learning Environment:Integrated and proven best practices, multi-level classrooms, diverse small group settings, magnet programs, etc.
  • Curriculum:Education customized for individuals, no textbooks, observational assessment rubrics, no more teaching to the test, STEM integration, etc.
  • School Calendar:Longer school day, longer school year, internships, college courses, etc.
  • Staffing:Teacher mentoring, highly qualified teachers, teacher pay, union support, etc.
  • Technology:Technology integration, videoconferencing and telepresence, administrative software, student technical support, etc.
  • Wellness and Primary Health Care:Telemedicine, primary health care, wellness simulations, etc.
  • Scalable and Transformational:Operates within existing budgets, accountability, research center, national leadership, etc.
  • Additional Benefits:Grassroots, unanimity planning, dropout prevention, attendance, etc.
Emaginos Investment Model Emaginos is focused on changing the way that public school transformation is approached. While many in the industry are in favor of the transition to charters or homeschooling, the company believes in keeping the same buildings and teachers while implementing new proven best practices within the existing budget. Some key figures relating to the public school system include:
  • There are 98,328 public K-12 schools.
  • Total public-school enrollment exceeds 50 million.
  • The public school system employs more than 3.1 million teachers.
  • Total funding of public education amounts to roughly $597.5 billion, with federal funding accounting for 12.7%, state funding accounting for 43.5% and local funding accounting for 43.8% of the total.
The Emaginos model is not a one-time product sale; it is a subscription service that provides the necessary resources for the public school to transition from traditional “teaching and testing” models to the “learning and doing” model. The Cost of the Emaginos Model Emaginos’ start-up costs are significant as it builds the EdManage platform and its student centered, multidisciplinary, textbook-free, learning-team, project-based curriculum. However, after the platform and curriculum are built, the company expects to incur relatively small incremental costs to sell, deliver and support the program. Even though districts are required to pay for the model and annual subscription, overall, they are expected to come out even or on top in terms of expenditure. With no more textbooks and no need for additional technology, schools can go without extra support staffing, allowing for additional cost savings. Management Team Dr. Keith Larick is the man who developed the Emaginos plan. As a superintendent within the Tracy Unified School District (“TUSD”) 20 years ago, Dr. Larick chose three educators with whom to work, with the goal of changing education. He challenged these educators to take a clean slate approach to design the optimal K-12 education program. Using proven student-centered and organizational best practices, the result was the creation of three charter schools proving the new K-12 model. Allan Jones is the President of Emaginos Inc. He has spent over 40 years working in and around education. He was a classroom teacher, district chief information and technology officer in the public school system, and taught college courses for teachers. Mr. Jones also served as a school board member. He co-founded an online high school, consulting with school districts on technology planning, and worked for Digital Equipment Corporation’s corporate research division. While there, he created programs to identify and transfer ideas from leading universities into the company. After all those years of seeing the good, bad, and ugly within the American public school system, he joined Dr. Larick to transform America’s schools into centers of discovery and innovation. The late Jack Taub was the Chief Visionary of Emaginos Inc. He was from Brooklyn, New York, and dropped out of school to pursue a passion for stamp collecting. He and his brother Bert, both respected philatelists, developed a successful stamp selling business. At one time, they even had an exclusive contract with the USPS, selling their stamp-collecting materials across the country. From those earnings, the brothers invested in what would be considered one of the first social networking applications – though the term didn’t exist yet. Neither brother had a good experience within the K-12 school system, so they turned their sights on fixing it. They teamed up with Dr. Larick to design new models for education adhering to the idea that all students can succeed in education. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Emaginos.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Emaginos are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/Emaginos

From Our Blog

From Ghost Mines to Geophysical Clarity: How Fairchild Gold Corp. (TSX.V: FAIR) (OTCQB: FCHDF) Is Reframing Nevada Titan’s Copper-Gold Potential

January 2, 2026

Disseminated on behalf of Fairchild Gold Corp. (TSX.V: FAIR) (OTCQB: FCHDF) and may include paid advertising. For much of mining history, districts were defined by what could be seen at surface. Shallow workings, hand-dug shafts, and narrow stopes extracted high-grade material where it outcropped, often leaving deeper mineral systems unexplored. Today, the most compelling exploration […]

Rotate your device 90° to view site.