• Global pandemic fuels development, acceptance of digital technologies, including blockchain
• HBR article reports that blockchain solutions have been repurposed, unleashed to address challenges
• Innovative Payment Solutions Inc. simplifies payments and transfers; currently working on creating all-in-one digital payment solution: IPSIPay

The impact of COVID-19 has been seen and felt far beyond the health-care industry, reaching into sectors that may not seem to be relatable. Yet the global pandemic has fueled the development and acceptance of digital technologies that offer the security and stability the world is looking for right now. One of those technologies — blockchain — seems particularly well suited for this time and place, where Innovative Payment Solutions (OTCQB: IPSI) could make a real difference in unbanked and underbanked communities globally. “Because blockchain technologies are uniquely suited to verifying, securing and sharing data, they’re ideal for managing multi-party, inter-organizational, and cross-border transactions,” a recent “Harvard Business Review” article observes (https://ibn.fm/xnq5q). Titled “How the Pandemic Is Pushing Blockchain Forward,” the article notes that “over the past five years, enterprises across the globe have vetted the technology with thousands of proofs of concept, but live deployments have been slow to come because partners using blockchain as a shared ledger have to agree on IP rights, governance, and business models. Government regulations have also impeded its widespread use.” The article goes on to state that COVID-19 is pushing through the obstacles toward blockchain adoption: “The virus has revealed the weaknesses in our supply chains, our inability to deploy resources where they are most needed to address the pandemic, and difficulties in capturing and sharing the data needed to make rapid decisions in managing it. Blockchain solutions that have been under development for years have now been repurposed and unleashed to address these challenges.” Innovative Payment Solutions Inc. simplifies payments and transfers by offering an all-in-one digital payment solution — IPSIPay — that utilizes blockchain and is designed for widespread use by unbanked, underbanked and fully banked communities. The company is currently developing IPSIPay, a 21^st-century payment solution based on proprietary fintech payment architecture. Already linked to Mexico’s largest service providers, the IPSI network is expected to add more than 150 services for payment, including mobile networks, cable providers, home lenders, banks and microlenders. Many financial institutions, including IPSI, are showing progress toward blockchain adoption. A CNBC article quoting Lex Sokolin, co-head of fintech at blockchain firm ConsenSys, reported that the coronavirus pandemic may have played a role in spurring banks to roll out commercially viable blockchain products (https://ibn.fm/TFC7O). Sokolin added: “Banks and other financial institutions are also now less hesitant to experiment with digital currencies as they once were. With cash usage declining in many developed economies — especially amid the pandemic — central banks are now exploring the rollout of their own virtual money, while brokerages like Fidelity now let their clients invest in crypto. . . . ‘Our take is that this adoption and transformation will be incremental in most countries, but drastic in some individual geographies,’ Sokolin said.” This anticipated transformation bodes well for Innovative Payment Solutions, which strives to offer cutting-edge digital payment solutions for consumers and service providers. Innovative’s ecosystem will span multiple devices such as self-service kiosks, mobile applications and point-of-sale terminals offering alternative payment methods to meet the needs of consumers and service providers. For more information about the company, please visit www.Investor.IPSIPay.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to IPSI are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/IPSI

• “Rolling Stone” article outlines key trends that will shape entertainment industry moving forward.
• As consumer behavior changes, digital becomes key to enabling engagement between artists and fans.
• Digital champion Friendable appears ideally positioned as industry transitions to digital technologies.

In a recent “Rolling Stone” article titled “14 Reasons the Entertainment Industry Will Look Different in 2021,” the popular magazine outlines major trends that will shape the entertainment industry in 2021. Given that industry outlook, Friendable (OTC: FDBL) and its innovative Fan Pass platform seem ideally positioned to benefit. Fourteen entertainment business leaders were interviewed in the article and invited to give their views about how the industry will adapt to the changing times. According to these experts, major trends impacting the new direction for the media and entertainment industry in 2021 and beyond include factors such as the merging of digital and physical worlds, a greater sense of creator control, an increasing need for digital-first solutions and a move toward new forms of interaction (https://ibn.fm/e4jMp). The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has disrupted the music sector at an unprecedented level, leading to widespread cancellation of festivals, tours and other live events. Consumer behavior changed practically overnight as people around the world became confined to their homes. The industry was hit hard, although the impact varied across the board. Those who embraced digital technology appear to continue to adapt and engage with fans in these new circumstances. However, what do the professionals think the future music landscape will look like in 2021 and beyond? The “Rolling Stone” article underscores the potential that digital technology offers in the entertainment sector as the world moves into the post-pandemic era. Since massive public events will most likely not be part of the entertainment landscape for the foreseeable future, 2021 will bring innovation in merging digital and physical worlds, thus providing and improving the fan experience beyond in-person interaction. This new environment has allowed artists to develop a direct connection to fans via social media and other online platforms, providing them with opportunities to drive engagement. The music world will likely continue to see a huge shift toward providing artists with enhanced control their content and the experience, as even when live events resume, they will most likely want to retain control. The article goes on to note that the need for a digital-first strategy is more important than ever. Digital first means leveraging the digital environment to provide a meaningful experience for the users within the online context. As interaction changed due to the pandemic, the role of digital-first solutions kept the world connected. The first forms of this new interaction were seen in 2020, and more changes are in store as the world moves into 2021. The entertainment world is transforming rapidly, and Friendable’s Fan Pass is keeping up as it offers key features and benefits fit for the new post-COVID era. As a mobile-focused app, Fan Pass is connecting fans with their favorite celebrities and artists, providing unparalleled digital entertainment experiences through its exclusive VIP or Backstage experiences, and offering solutions for engaging fans and artists right from users’ smartphones or other digital devices. Fan Pass app creates an ecosystem in which qualified artists can invite fans and social followers worldwide to join in chats and live events, offering them opportunities to interact and experience all there is to see of an artist in one single platform. Through the Fan Pass application, Friendable is committed to becoming the premier brand for mobile platforms dedicated to connecting and engaging users beyond today’s limitations. For more information about Friendable or the Fan Pass platform, visit 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

• Mining industry specialist expects next year to be busy for junior miners after temporary halt due to pandemic
• Junior miners likely to start 2021 with better financing prospects; exploration expected to resume
• GOH well placed to capitalize on expected junior boom

As the metal exploration boom elevates the junior mining industry’s outlook, Canada-based GoldHaven Resources (CSE: GOH) (OTCQB: GHVNF) seems well positioned to leverage the favorable environment that industry experts forecast for 2021 (https://ibn.fm/tFPOm). In a panel discussion hosted by Mines and Money, the leading international event series for capital-raising and mining investment, Jessie Chen of Long State Investment asserted that she expects a bright future for junior mining companies over the next 12 to 18 months. Global junior mining activity, including exploration, is expected to resume next year after a temporary halt due to the virus outbreak and restrictions that ensued. Chen also expects to see better availability of financing for the juniors as social-distancing measures ease. Capital flow is on the rise, with total funding raised by junior miners amounting to $1.8 billion in the second quarter of 2020, up from $1.6 billion raised in the same quarter last year. Junior miners are mining companies with a small market cap that engage in exploration work, potentially making a major gold discovery upon which they are often acquired by a mining major. These companies are part of one of the major trends in the gold mining industry, where smaller companies are often found behind grand discoveries. Well-capitalized, GoldHavens Resources continues to engage in exploration activities across Northern Chile. GOH’s latest high-priority projects include Rio Loa, where the company identified a large system with a high concentration of pathfinder element anomalies. Trenching, mapping and sampling are expected to complete this month, with assay results expected before the phase I drill program in early 2021. Other high-priority projects include Alicia, Coya and Roma Sur, which GoldHaven also expects to advance early next year. These four locations are marked as high-priority projects based on studies that show significant pervasive alteration, favorable geology and highly anomalous rock geochemistry on-site. With these ambitious exploration plans, recent funding and executive team enhancement to support these strategic programs, GoldHaven seems well on its way to capitalize on the positive trends expected for the junior mining sector in the next year. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.GoldHavenResources.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to GHVNF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/GHVNF

• Green Hygienics owns the largest single USDA Certified Organic hemp farm in North America, with 824 acres of USDA Certified Organic outdoor cultivation potential and a further 400,000 square feet of greenhouse space. Green Hygienics is a real estate-backed investment with a valuation on the current farm property of $23 million
• The company has strong revenue growth potential by virtue of its acreage and ability to deliver products year-around through its indoor cultivation space (the average hemp farm in North America is approximately 15 acres). This, coupled with the direction the company is going with its own processing, directly addresses the need for a safe, secure supply chain solution for its target market – the nutraceutical, medical and pharmaceutical industries
• GRYN is a fully audited and SEC reporting company for full transparency
• GRYN is operated and managed by seasoned professionals with more than 200 years of direct collective experience of executing in this sector
• The company has a unique business model within the industry, putting it on a path to targeting the underserved nutraceutical, medical and pharmaceutical industries while addressing safety and efficacy issues

Green Hygienics Holdings (OTCQB: GRYN) is a California-based innovative technology-driven enterprise focused on the high standard cultivation and processing of industrial hemp and manufacturing of pharmaceutical-grade bioactive cannabinoids. The company aims to be a leader in compliance and capabilities in the hemp and cannabinoid supply marketplace. By leveraging state of the art technologies, the company intends to open up a whole new world of novel cannabinoids and targeted bio-delivery technologies never before explored, solving the issues of stability, pharmacokinetics, biological tissue penetration and bioavailability. Dedicated to creating the hemp industry’s safest and finest quality products, the company will be uniquely positioned to deliver product efficacy and supply chain solutions to consumers, as well as to leverage these within its own products and brand portfolio. USDA Organic Certification and FDA Registration On August 26, 2020, Green Hygienics registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pursuant to the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Bioterrorism Act of 2002. This registration strengthens the company’s core mission to provide product efficacy to the pharmaceutical industry and consumers alike. On September 30, 2020, Green Hygienics was granted USDA Organic Certification (7 CFR Part 205) for the cultivation and post-harvest processing of industrial hemp by the California Certified Organic Farmers for its Sol Valley Ranch property. This certification further enables the company to supply certified organic hemp products to national and international markets. Market Opportunity Green Hygienics is focused on finding, acquiring and developing strategically positioned businesses, as well as the best innovations within the hemp industry – a fast-progressing market with remarkable opportunities for growth. The industrial hemp market is expected to reach $5.33 billion in 2020 and is projected to rise to $15.26 billion by 2027, achieving a CAGR of 15.8%, per Grand View Research. Capital Structure GRYN has less than 42 million shares outstanding, fully diluted. The company has just 7.2 million common shares in float and boasts a balance sheet with no toxic debt or overhang. Key Management Dr. Levan Darjania serves as the company’s Chief Science Officer. Darjania has over 26 years of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug development. His research and development experience has led him to develop many in-house and collaborative R&D programs over the course of his career. Kyle MacKinnon serves as GRYN’s Chief Operating Officer. He has extensive knowledge in cannabis processing and was previously the Business Development Manager of Advanced Extraction Systems Inc., a leader in CO2 Supercritical Fluid Extraction. MacKinnon brings over 20 years of sales and management experience to the company. Ronald Loudoun is the President, CEO, Secretary and Director of Green Hygienics. He received an undergraduate business degree from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Before joining Green Hygienics, he was the founder and a director of renewable energy firm Archer CleanTech Inc. Jerry Halamuda is the Senior Vice President of Business Development of the company’s Agriculture Division. He has an extensive career working in the agriculture and horticulture industry. Halamuda has founded, managed and operated multiple successful companies, including Color Spot Nurseries. John Gildea is GRYN’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. He has over 20 years of experience working within the private and public markets. His expertise includes negotiating and structuring private and public financing and mergers. During the course of his work, Gildea has established trusted relationships with a network of equity and capital partners. 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

• Recent interview on CNBC featured prominent analyst advising investors against “egregiously expensive” tech stocks
• SGTM is profitable company that transforms natural waste into organic gardening products, playground surface material
• Recent financial results include Q3 revenue of $5.9 million, 4,817% increase in gross profit during first half of 2020 when compared to all of 2019
• Clients include The Kroger Co., Circle K, 7-Eleven, Menards Inc. and Old Castle Lawn & Garden

COVID-19 has sent the global economy into a tailspin, forcing the closure of hundreds of thousands of businesses along with the loss of millions of jobs. The stock market, however, appears to have decoupled from reality as it sets record highs amid this global economic catastrophe (https://ibn.fm/JcHkb). Sustainable Green Team (OTC: SGTM), a leading provider of environmentally beneficial solutions for tree and storm waste disposal, is a small but bright light among thousands of overvalued stocks, offering investors an opportunity to invest in an ethical, sustainable and profitable company. MBMG Group Managing Director Paul Gambles recently gave an interview on CNBC advising investors to avoid “scarily priced” IT and consumer discretionary stocks, claiming that such investments were “egregiously expensive” (https://ibn.fm/t7WmY). Citing recent statistics from the MSCI World Consumer Discretionary Price Index and the MS World Information Technology Price Index – both of which have shot up by 85% and 75% respectively since last March – Gambles suggested that these types of stocks had benefited from shifts into digital and e-commerce amid COVID-19, but noted that the trend would not last much longer. While momentum stocks in the S&P 500 have risen 28% so far this year, high-quality investments in discretionary stocks characterized by high dividends and low volatility have actually fallen. Adding to the confusion is the fact that most well-known tech “giants” such as Uber, Spotify and Airbnb have never actually turned a profit (https://ibn.fm/zrIAs). The resulting situation is creating confusion among investors and analysts struggling to make sense of a market that appears to be largely driven by investor speculation. While SGTM does not have a digital platform, app, or plans to launch satellites into space, it does offer an opportunity to invest in a profitable company that takes sustainability seriously. Through its subsidiaries and partners, SGTM collects tree debris caused by storms and hurricanes and transforms it into environmentally friendly gardening mulch products and certified organic playground surfacing material. Mulch is a multi-million dollar business that provides benefits to the earth, including natural weed control, temperature regulation, moisture retention and soil erosion prevention. Rather than allow tree debris to burden landfills, SGTM transforms it into a valuable product that is sold nationwide through contracts with corporate giants like The Kroger Co., Circle K, 7-Eleven, Menards Inc. and Old Castle Lawn & Garden. Unlike many tech stocks making headlines in the financial markets, SGTM actually turns a profit. Besides growing significantly in 2020, the company recently reported $5.9 million in Q3 revenue (https://ibn.fm/BtP1e) along with an impressive 4,817% increase in gross profit during the first half of 2020 when compared to all of 2019 (https://ibn.fm/UVcIF). With plans to uplist to NASDAQ in the near future, the company has completed a 2-year audit and commenced its FORM-10 process to become fully reporting. In an investment environment rife with volatility and speculation, SGTM offers synergistic solutions that benefit the environment while offering investors an excellent opportunity to purchase shares in a sustainable business. The company is committed to continue driving forward its mission while meeting the increasing demand for sustainable solutions to serious environmental issues. To learn more about Sustainable Green Team Ltd., view the investor presentation at https://ibn.fm/EBY3V. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SGTM are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SGTM

• Pure Extracts Technologies revealed it had recently retained global consultancy to advise on application for Dealer’s License under Health Canada
• If granted, license would allow Company to cultivate, conduct research into, commercialize controlled substances
• Pure Extracts also announced it recently signed LOI to further cooperation with PURICA(TM)⁽ in field of full-spectrum mushroom-derived wellness products and co-develop CBD, mushroom product combinations
• Partnership would ideally situate Company to benefit from growing consumer interest within functional mushroom – CBD oil wellness product segments

Pure Extracts Technologies (CSE: PULL) (XFRA: A2QJAJ), a plant-based extraction company, recently revealed that it had begun the process towards applying to Health Canada for a Dealers License under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (“CDSA”). The CDSA, which oversees the legal access to controlled substances and regulates the production, distribution and sale of these substances in Canada, requires companies to obtain regulatory approval from Health Canada prior to carrying out activities within the sector (https://ibn.fm/A1Vpy). Pure Extracts also announced that it had retained a globally recognized operations, compliance, and regulatory firm to advise on its application so as to ensure the Company’s adherence to the criteria put forth by the regulatory body. If obtained, the Dealers License would enable Pure Extracts to procure, cultivate and harvest-controlled substances – including the likes of psychedelic mushrooms for the purpose of psilocybin extraction, conduct research into controlled substances and ultimately engage in the sale of these substances through a variety of different channels. “Having the support of one of Canada’s premiere consulting companies with subject matter proficiency in cannabis, controlled substances and other regulated consumer product industries assures that we will submit a fully-compliant Dealers License application to Health Canada in the shortest time possible,” said Pure Extracts’ CEO Ben Nikolaevsky in regard to the Company’s application. “As a plant-based extractor bringing functional mushroom products to market in Q1 2021, we are very excited to be laying the groundwork for our move into the controlled substances world of psychedelics.” Being awarded the license would allow Pure Extracts to carry out extraction research and development into psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin and psilocin, preparing the Company for an eventual legislative move towards the legalization of psychedelics in the near future. In addition to its application for a Dealers License under Health Canada, Pure Extracts also recently announced that it had signed a letter of intent (“LOI”) with The Nutraceutical Medicine Company Inc. (“PURICA”), owner of the PURICA(TM) brand of full-spectrum mushroom derived wellness products, to both support Pure Extracts’ expansion into the functional mushroom sector while also seeking to jointly develop a series of CBD-full-spectrum mushroom wellness combinations (https://ibn.fm/OPJ8q). Pure Extracts, which is set to launch its own-branded functional mushrooms-derived product line under the ‘Pure Mushrooms’ brand name in early 2021, has long sought to develop its expertise within the functional mushrooms product segment, with the sector recently witnessing a surge in consumer demand given its stress-relieving and immune system-supportive properties. A product launch with PURICA(TM) would allow Pure Extracts to effectively marry the twin segments of full-spectrum mushroom extracts and CBD and would position Pure Extracts at the confluence of two powerful trends – namely, the rapid adoption of CBD oil as a mainstream medicinal product and the explosive growth of functional mushroom wellness products. Ben Nikolaevsky remarked in relation to the potential partnership, “We are excited to be working with the experts at PURICA(TM) on functional mushroom products and novel CBD formulations. They have an impressive history of product development, customer retention and an unwavering dedication to high standards.” For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PureExtractsCorp.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to PULL are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/PULL

• Loop Insights is an innovative data technology solutions provider developing contactless, digital wallet-based marketing, tracing and notification services
• During the COVID era, Loop’s venue management solution serves as a companion to contactless ticketing, and testing allowing attendees to receive alerts and notifications as well as proof of testing or vaccination and event / venue managers to monitor the same risk and deliver venue tracing alerts directly integrated with rapid testing.
• Following on the heels of the NBA’s massive COVID-free protective “bubble” experiment for the pro basketball season and playoffs, Loop served as the tech resource for two NCAA bubble events and successfully provided organizers the data they needed
• Loop is now partnering with rapid COVID test supplier Empower Clinics and aviation marketing consulting firm SimpliFlying to provide an international travel virus-protection bubble program, as well as a film industry bubble
• Loop intends to uplist from its TSX.V position to the broader TSX exchange, and then if successful to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in the United States to list on the NASDAQ

During the final weeks of 2020, the medical community has begun to experience real optimism in pushing back against the novel coronavirus pandemic that has sickened nearly 75 million people worldwide as of a week before Christmas, taking the lives of more than 1.6 million, and leaving some 20.5 million still in the throes of the illness with the Christmas holiday rapidly approaching (https://ibn.fm/MDktc).

With the rollout of one vaccine believed to be safe and effective in combating COVID-19 happening now, and additional vaccine approvals expected in the near future (https://ibn.fm/1Ivo8), business industry leaders are also tentatively beginning to adopt event and venue “bubble” practices that allow them to resume in-person, revenue-building activities while attempting to prevent infected people from attending. Bubble planning includes efficiently identifying any potential breach of the event / venue infection security net so that organizers can effectively provide contact-tracing warnings to participants who may have been exposed, as addressed in a report by event news outlet EventMB (https://ibn.fm/xRyvx).

Vancouver-headquartered Loop Insights (TSX.V: MTRX) (OTCQB: RACMF) is dedicating much of its focus on Internet of Things (“IoT”)-based contactless solutions to enabling renewed event / venue activity. The company has already successfully provided end-to-end venue tracing and alert notifications for two NCAA Division 1 basketball events and is expanding on its successes with bubble planning in non-sports markets such as the film and travel industries, as well as new sports events in 2021.

“There is simply no way to overstate the implications of our live environment Venue Bubble successes in Florida and Las Vegas over the past 10 days,” Loop Insights CEO Rob Anson stated about the NCAA events (https://ibn.fm/aLSVV). “With the whole world watching, including professional sports leagues and teams, college sports leagues and teams, world-renown venues and hospitality companies, Loop hit it out of the park and provided the world with the empirical data necessary to demonstrate our bubble solution is nothing short of world-class.”

The professional NBA basketball league set the initial standard for sports-related virus bubbles, creating a $190 million isolation zone at Florida’s Walt Disney World during the final eight games of the 2019–20 regular season and throughout the playoffs. The bubble was enacted in six phases between June and October, and no cases of COVID-19 were recorded by the teams participating in the bubble (https://ibn.fm/AUrR6).

Loop Insights’ IoT contactless venue management solution deployed in the NCAA events includes using smart wallet pass technology to manage tracing, testing, notifications and marketing. Attendees enter their personal information upon arrival, including their name and how to contact them, without having to rely on the exchange of hand written forms. The mobile wallets are used to authenticate the attendees’ information and to allow the exchange of information between the event / venue managers and the attendees regarding the data the venue requires, as explained in an October Loop webcast demonstrating the platform’s performance (https://ibn.fm/Q0feV).

The company’s recently announced expansion into virus-free bubble projects for the film industry (https://ibn.fm/dNvjQ) and the travel industry include a standout partnership with medical testing innovator Empower Clinics (CSE: CBDT) (OTC: EPWCF) (FRA: 8EC) and an MOU with aviation marketing consulting firm SimpliFlying to create an international airline travel bubble solution (https://ibn.fm/dFXHB).

Empower’s rapid antigen and antibody tests produce results in 15 minutes, providing the potential for a sense of security during the pandemic to airlines, cruise ships and the 182 countries currently in full or partial shutdown (https://ibn.fm/zpE9Q). The partners’ travel bubble product is now advancing talks for an agreement with the national tourism boards of the Dominican Republic, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Turks & Caicos islands, as well as the Iberostar, Bahia Principe and Hyatt Resorts, according to the company’s announcement.

Loop also recently announced its digital wallet and venue platform will support English, French and Spanish initially — a capability considered necessary as part of the partnership’s pursuit of nationwide agreements, particularly as Canada considers a unified solution with tracing, testing, and vaccination certification (https://ibn.fm/vAIfc).

The announcement includes notice that the company received $4.6 million from the exercise of warrants up to Dec. 10, which eliminates the need for any financing with the exception of strategic client partners that may want to invest in Loop in order to participate in its growth. Loop currently lists on the TSX.V and intends to uplist to the broader TSX exchange to increase its investment potential. If the TSX uplisting is successful, the company will eventually pursue filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in the United States to potentially list on the NASDAQ (https://ibn.fm/EZcxq).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.LoopInsights.ai

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

• “Forbes” article reports that EVs are “growing part of the automotive mainstream.”
• Big automakers rushing to bring EVs to market.
• evTS updated FireFly ESV incorporates best features from previous models, adds customizable upgrades.

More than a hundred years ago, the first electric vehicle (“EV”) was introduced, but the market has been slow to adopt the technology. Today, however, a “Forbes” article reports that if the “almost universal rush by manufacturers to bring fleets of wholly practical EVs to market is a meaningful indicator, we’re fast approaching the EV tipping point” (https://ibn.fm/FrecC). That’s exciting news for ev Transportation Services (“evTS”), the designer, developer and manufacturer of the FireFly ESV(R), a lightweight commercial utility EV with a range of 100-plus miles on a single charge — more than any other EV in its class. The commercial utility EV market is expected to see a dramatic increase in growth as companies continue to be pressured by both regulators and consumers to reduce their carbon footprint. According to BloombergNEF, the demand for this segment of the industry in the United States, China and Europe is expected to grow at a 33% CAGR from 2019 to 2028. Here is additional evidence of the upcoming boom for companies involved in the EV industry:

• Big three U.S. auto manufactures are directing profits from SUVs toward the development of clean, EV tech.
• General Motors plans to introduce 20 EVs over the next two years.
• Volkswagen will cease development of new internal-combustion-powered cars by 2026.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in September 2020 outlawing the sale of gas- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035; New Jersey may be headed to the same decision.
• China requires that EVs account for 25% of domestic car sales within five years.
• By 2025 gas- and diesel-powered vehicles will be banned in Norway.
• By 2030 gas- and diesel-powered vehicles will be banned in Holland.
• By 2040 gas- and diesel-powered vehicles will be banned in Europe, the UK and France.
• Tesla, a pioneering EV company, has turned a profit in each of the last five quarters, despite the fact 2020 has seen a worldwide pandemic that has decreased car sales.

Leading the charge forward in this new world of electric vehicles is ev Transportation. The company’s FireFly ESV is specifically designed to meet the needs of parking enforcement, security, on demand urban delivery, and grounds maintenance. This lightweight vehicle can operate at speeds up to 50 mph, with a 100-plus mile range on a single charge. The modular bed design is customizable for specific purposes. Earlier this year, ev Transportation announced its newest FireFly, the 2021 model. This new version incorporates all of the best features from previous models and adds upgrades that include a bigger cab with more leg room; improved in-cabin experience with a more modern feel; and a new windshield design with improved visibility as well as real-time remote diagnostics and 360-degree video monitoring. The new model arrives just in time. According to the Allied Market Research report, the global electric vehicle market is projected to reach $802.81 billion by 2027 (https://ibn.fm/icTUN), and ev Transportation is strongly positioned in the burgeoning space. The company has already inked a deal with ADOMANI Inc., a leading provider of EVs, to provide 120 FireFly ESV vehicles (https://ibn.fm/EeKAY). This partnership will help expand sales in California and surrounding states. evTS is a specialty vehicle manufacturer that produces purpose built, light weight, electric commercial utility vehicles and fleet management solutions. Based in Boston, the company is currently focused on the essential-services transportation and urban mobility markets. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.evtaas.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to ev Transportation Services are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/EVTS

• The company is scheduled to conduct three clinical trials in 2021 for Berubicin – two Phase II and the first-ever Phase I in pediatric patients
• FDA modified the trial design to designate overall survival as the trial’s primary endpoint
• The market for brain tumor therapies is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% and reach an estimated $1.6 billion in 2025

CNS Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CNSP), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel treatments for primary and metastatic cancers of the brain and central nervous system, announced that it obtained the Food and Drug Administration’s Investigational New Drug (“IND”) approval for its lead drug candidate Berubicin, according to a company press release on December 17, 2020 (https://ibn.fm/2Tin7). The press release was followed a day later by a public conference call during which the company’s CEO John Climaco and CMO Sandra Silberman, M.D., Ph.D. discussed the IND approval, as well as what that means for CNS Pharmaceuticals. The IND approval will allow the company to move forward with the plans for the Phase II trial of Berubicin in adults with Glioblastoma Multiforme (“GBM”) who have failed first-line therapy. GBM is an aggressive form of brain cancer that grows quickly. The current standard of care for those diagnosed with GBM is surgical resection followed by radiation therapy with temozolomide. There is not a significant increase in the survival rate for those who use this standard of care. In 2017, CNS entered a collaboration and asset purchase agreement with Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: RETA) and acquired all the Phase I trial information for Berubicin. Based on the limited information received, Berubicin appears to be the first anthracycline to cross the blood-brain barrier. The Phase I trial of Berubicin was completed by Reata over 14 years ago. One of the Phase I trial participants survived and is living cancer-free. Two others saw a significant reduction of the tumor’s size – up to 80 percent. CNS holds an exclusive worldwide license to the Berubicin chemical compound. A sub-licensee partner, WPD Pharmaceuticals, will be conducting two trials in Poland during 2021, including the first-ever Phase I pediatric trial of Berubicin. During the conference call, Silberman stated that this trial has expanded to cover additional types of brain tumors, not just GBM, in pediatric patients. The planned Phase II trial will evaluate the efficacy of Berubicin in patients with GBM who have failed the primary course of treatment for their tumor. The results will compare Berubicin to one standard of care, Lomustine, in a 2 to 1 randomization of patients who will receive one of these drugs. The trial has been designed to allow for the interim analysis of data to demonstrate the differences in the efficacy of the treatments. One modification made by the FDA for the previously disclosed trial design from CNS is designating the overall survival as the study’s primary endpoint, not just the efficacy. CNS believes that the trial has the potential to provide relevant data to the FDA, which may allow for an expedited pathway to approval for Berubicin. There is, however, no assurance that the FDA will interpret the data as such and approve the expedited pathway or further development. The IND approval and the upcoming clinical trials can help position CNS Pharmaceuticals as a market leader in the fast-growing sector of brain tumor therapies treatments. The overall global market for brain tumor therapeutics is expected to grow substantially from 2020 to 2025, at a CAGR of 10%. The 2019 market was valued at $1.1 billion and is expected to increase to $1.6 billion in 2025 (https://ibn.fm/BvYO2). According to John Climaco, CNS Pharmaceuticals will transform the next several months as Berubicin clinical trials begin. “We are entering an area with significant unmet medical need since the current treatment paradigm for GBM remains bleak, as this aggressive and currently incurable form of brain cancer continues to claim high mortality rates. We have a tremendous opportunity ahead of us as we continue our mission to improve patient outcomes for GBM and build on the promising results demonstrated by Berubicin in its Phase 1 clinical trial,” he added. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.CNSPharma.com NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNSP are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP

• By September 2020, growth rate of electric vehicle market increased to over 11% YoY
• September 2020 marked record month for the EV industry, as 345,000 electric vehicles were sold globally – accounting for 4.9% of total automotive sales
• Increase in EV sales due to combination of policy shifts, technological innovations
• Net Element, through intended merger with privately held Mullen Technologies, expects to begin marketing Dragonfly K50 sports car in United States by Q2 2021

The winds of change are blowing as global warming and climate change-induced catastrophes are waking the world to the imminent need to shift towards green energy options. Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE), a financial technology company undergoing a complete transformation of its business model by entering into a definitive agreement to merge with privately-held Mullen Technologies, seems to have gained entry into the recently burgeoning electric vehicle industry at precisely the right time. Following from Net Element’s decision to enter into a binding Letter of Intent to merge with privately-held Mullen Technologies Inc. in mid-June 2020, NETE announced provisional plans to divest itself of its legacy payments-as-a-service transactional model and alter its operational focus towards the electric vehicle space. The timing could not have been any more propitious; in a dramatic turnaround to the dismal sentiment surrounding the sector in the early part of 2020, September 2020 proved to be a spectacular month for global passenger plug-in electric vehicle sales; sales volumes of electric vehicles touched 345,000 over the course of the month, equivalent to 4.9% of total global automobile sales (https://ibn.fm/CFqDW). More remarkably, after the first nine months of the year, global electric vehicle sales volumes amounted to 1.784 million units – a total equivalent to an 11 percent growth rate over the identical time frame in 2019, and equal to 3.4 percent of total vehicle sales over the nine-month period. Oddly, the increase in electric vehicle sales growth rates has come about amid a record decline in crude oil and gasoline prices – which in turn have led to a decline in the cost of ownership of traditional internal combustion engine-powered vehicles. Rather, the growth has been spurred by the confluence of two trends driving the industry’s growth—namely, policy initiatives and technological advancements. In early November 2020, the United Kingdom announced that the sale of new gasoline and diesel-fueled cars would be banned from 2030 onwards, bringing the original deadline forward an entire decade (https://ibn.fm/sn17o). The UK’s policy change followed in the wake of Sweden, which similarly moved towards introducing a ban on the sale of internal combustion-powered vehicles from 2030 onwards; the policy shift has already led to a dramatic transformation in the nation’s automotive market, with electric vehicles making up nearly 28% of Sweden’s new car sales over the first three quarters of the year. However, policy shifts have not been the sole driver behind the dramatic increase in EV sales in 2020. Electric vehicles have been the beneficiary of a series of technological innovations within the sector, byproducts of the vast increase in the capital expenditure and research within the product segment. Over the past year, a number of major automotive OEMs have committed to significant upfront investments in developing their EV portfolios, with Ford announcing that it would invest $11.5 billion on EV models by 2022 while the Volkswagen Group has forecast achieving 1 million EV sales by 2023. More importantly, a greater focus on EVs has led to a greater proliferation of choice available to consumers, with IHS Markit predicting that there will be 130 EV models available to US consumers by 2026, from 43 different automobile manufacturers (https://ibn.fm/OFVyb). Although the merger between Net Element and Mullen Technologies is not due for completion until 2021, Mullen has already set itself a number of lofty ambitions – chief of amongst which is the desire to reach a production threshold of 35,000 vehicles per annum by 2026. With Mullen’s initial two models already in the works and with the global EV sector set to skyrocket in terms of value over the course of the next decade, Net Element finds itself in the ideal position to capitalize from one of the biggest shifts in consumer behavior the world has ever seen. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.NetElement.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NETE are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/NETE