• Kontrol Energy focuses on lowering energy costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• The company’s emphasis is IoT, Cloud and SaaS technology
• Kontrol’s corporate strategy involves mergers and acquisitions, organic growth and cannabis sector initiatives

Established in 2015, Kontrol Energy Corp. (CSE: KNR) (FSE: 1K8) provides market-based energy solutions to organizational customers. The company’s goal is lower energy costs and decreased greenhouse gas emissions via the use of smarter energy solutions. Kontrol’s emphasis is on enhancing energy performance in commercial, multi-residential and mission critical buildings. In addition, it has received contracts with licensed producers (LPs) in the cannabis sector. Kontrol Energy is headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario. Kontrol received recognition as Canada’s seventh-fastest growing startup in 2018.

The company is a leader in the energy efficiency sector by way of IoT (Internet of Things), Cloud and SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) technology. Kontrol’s energy solutions aim to lessen customers’ overall cost of energy while providing a corresponding decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Kontrol provides integrated smart energy technologies and solutions to blue chip customers in the U.S. and Canada (http://ibn.fm/Nc71T).

Kontrol Energy is focusing on its development through two pathways – acquisitions and organic growth. The company has completed six acquisitions so far at attractive valuations. Kontrol notes that there are numerous cross-sales and operating efficiencies across these acquisitions (http://ibn.fm/7KEr2).

One example of Kontrol’s M&A strategy is its acquisition of CEM Specialties, Inc. CEM is a market leader in turn-key emission monitoring equipment and solutions. Another example is the acquisition of ORTECH Consulting, Inc. ORTECH is an engineering consulting firm. It specializes in GHG reporting, emission testing, air quality testing and renewable energy/power consulting (http://ibn.fm/bnZDk). Therefore, these acquisitions tie into Kontrol’s objective of reducing GHG emissions.

Regarding organic growth, Kontrol’s strategy focuses on the acceleration of IoT devices and SaaS. The company has an organic growth target of 40 percent annually. Its aim is recurring revenues via energy management and analytics, as well as real-time data delivery. At present, Kontrol has energy software installed in 180 buildings. This software monitors and records HVAC equipment and utilities in real-time and sends the data securely to Kontrol’s Tier 1 data center.

Concerning building analytics, Kontrol Energy provides its customers with the information needed to boost operational visibility. With its analytics, Kontrol makes it possible for customers to identify opportunities for performance improvement. Moreover, businesses can share this vital information across teams and organizations  (http://ibn.fm/JBuUj).

This year, Kontrol Energy entered the cannabis market as a supplier of energy services. The goal of its services is to provide energy efficiency and emission compliance solutions, which are of vital importance to licensed producers. Kontrol assists cannabis growers in reducing the cost of energy. It also supports mission critical infrastructures in the cannabis sector. Kontrol Energy has so far obtained two contracts to provide energy efficiency services to LPs in the Canadian cannabis sector.

Kontrol Energy offers investors potential growth opportunities with its disciplined M&A strategy in tandem with organic growth. The company continues to advance initiatives regarding optimizing energy performance in buildings and supplying the cannabis market with first-rate energy services. Kontrol remains dedicated to its vision of smarter energy solutions for buildings and cities.

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

• 5G networks expected to roll out in 2019
• Around $150 billion expected in Telco CAPEX by 2023
• Spectrum’s opportunity pipeline valued at $137 million

On December 19, 2018, an investor webinar and live Q&A session put on by Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. (OTC: SGSI) showcased the engineering company’s technological prowess and potential (http://ibn.fm/piEao). Undoubtedly, this single-source provider has the capability to upgrade, install and maintain next-generation telecommunication networks. Deployment of 5G networks is expected to create roughly three million American jobs and add $0.5 trillion to U.S. GDP, according to global management consultants Accenture. Spectrum plans to be part of that rollout. The company has developed a global track record by successfully executing over 150,000 projects since commencing operations 34 years ago. Spectrum has delivered cost-effective, scalable, robust solutions for communication carriers, utilities, enterprise companies, OEMs and others. With 5G on the horizon, the company is gearing up to continue its stellar performance. With $137 million in the opportunity pipeline, its stock, trading at just 7.5 percent of sales, looks strangely undervalued.

A generation ago, 2G networks were state-of-the-art. Very few people had mobile phones back then. In 1991, when 2G had its debut, cell phone subscriptions numbered about 7.5 million. Subscriptions hit 69.2 million in 1998, when 3G appeared, and reached 262.7 million in 2008, after the launch of 4G LTE. Now, with 5G set for rollout in 2019, very few on the planet will not be linked to a network. Already, major carriers like AT&T and Verizon have launched 5G service in certain markets. Others are sure to follow. Around $150 billion in telecom capital expenditures (CAPEX) is expected through 2023. 5G networks deliver more data at greater speeds, more responsiveness by lowering latency and the capability to connect a lot more devices at once (think sensors and smart devices), which augurs well for the Internet of Things (IoT).

Spectrum’s client list reads like a who’s who of telecom celebrity. It includes major carriers like AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon; aggregators (essentially infrastructure leasers) such as American Tower, Crown Castle and ExteNet; and big name OEMs like Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung. With a foot in so many doors, that $137 million in the opportunity pipeline looks likely to boost Spectrum’s revenues in the years to come. The company’s embedded relationships generate repeat business at minimal acquisition cost. As the shift to 5G progresses, analysts expect “the five largest telcos alone… to spend approximately $50 billion on CAPEX in 2018, up from nearly $45 billion in 2017.”

Spectrum has beefed up resources to prepare for a 5G future. Earlier this year, it announced the acquisition of ADEX Corporation, an Alpharetta, Georgia-based company, and ADEX Puerto Rico LLC, which offers turnkey wireless and wireline telecom services and project professional services (http://ibn.fm/z1Off). ADEX, which has operations nationwide and in the Caribbean, has supported telecommunications companies for the last 25 years throughout the project lifecycle of existing and next generation network deployments, both domestically and internationally. ADEX is now a big part of the Spectrum family. It is expected to provide about two-thirds of Spectrum’s 2018 projected revenues of $33 million.

Despite this promise, Spectrum’s virtues, it seems, have escaped the public eye. Spectrum is a proven market operator with clear, quantifiable organic growth opportunities in a fast growing market segment; it’s led by an experienced management team. It is also unique as one of only a handful of engineering and installation companies able to provide all services and bundle products for telcos. The company is registered in 49 U.S. states, three U.S. territories and six Canadian provinces.

However, even with its impressive investment credentials, SGSI stock is trading at 7.5 percent of sales, making its market cap around $2 million (http://ibn.fm/UmINw). Trading at just 1x its estimated 2018 revenues would put the company at a $32 million market cap, more than 15 times where it is today. For a company generating double and/or triple-digit growth, 1x sales is an extremely conservative valuation. Maybe it’s time for investors to take another look at Spectrum Global Solutions.

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

• Changing the way cannabinoids and nicotine enter the blood stream
• Enhancing products worldwide, with patents issued and pending in more than 40 countries
• Providing a powerful new delivery method with a cost of less than a penny per serving to implement

Smoking is an efficient way to absorb cannabis and nicotine into the blood stream. However, it is also a health hazard that takes the lives of over six million people each year through smoking-related diseases.

What would it mean for the cannabis, nicotine and other medicinal industries if the dangers of lighting up were eliminated from the equation? What if a more effective way of delivering drugs was developed that reduced quantity and increased effectiveness without the negative side effects? One company, Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP), set out to answer these questions.

Lexaria’s revolutionary technology, DehydraTECH, changed the way that fat soluble, plant-derived molecules (such as cannabinoids and nicotine) enter the body.

The first challenge when creating edibles is taste and smell. Cannabinoids and nicotine can be bitter when taken orally. For this reason, edibles often contain high levels of sugar. DehydraTECH masks the taste and smell, eliminating the need for unhealthy sweeteners while making the product more desirable for the consumer.

Once past the mouth, these molecules do not fully survive the acidic nature of the stomach. Though the ideal location for absorption is in the small intestine, the stomach damages the molecules before they have a chance to arrive. DehydraTECH provides protection during stomach transit and can even bypasses first pass liver metabolism when desired. The truth is that the vast majority of substances orally consumed end up being filtered through the body as waste. With the addition of DehydraTECH, this changes! Bio absorption is increased by five to 10 times.

Four different wholly owned subsidiaries operate under Lexaria. Each is empowered with global exclusive licenses to use and out-license DehydraTECH to third party partners within their respective industries in more than 40 countries where the technology is patented or patent-pending. Partners are offered a competitive edge and protection against inferior methodologies and outdated technology. DehydraTECH is suitable for use in processed foods, beverages, capsules, oral sprays, topical applications and more. Though the company is doing extensive research and evaluating the potential use of its technology for nicotine delivery, it is not partnering with the tobacco industry.

Chemicals or intimidating complex ingredients that require disclosure on food labels are not required additions when using DehydraTECH. Instead the edible tech works with commons GRAS ingredients that can be organic and gluten- and dairy-free. It does all of this while still costing partners less than a penny per serving to implement, making DehydraTECH a win-win for the partner and consumer, who both gain from the improved performance of the enhanced product.

Lexaria believes that one day, using technologies like DehydraTECH, foods and beverages will be able to replace smoking as the most effective delivery mechanism. The work the company is doing with cannabinoids and nicotine is paving a path toward providing a powerful new delivery method of pain relievers, vitamins, supplements and more.

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

• Canada’s recreational cannabis use is predicted to soar as adult-use spending increases
• The Flowr Corporation is using its cultivation expertise to be a leader in super-premium products
• With production facilities ready for completion in 2019, Flowr is positioned to stay ahead of the competition

The Flowr Corporation (TSX.V: FLWR), a vertically integrated Canadian cannabis company, offers consumers a premium cannabis experience by maintaining the highest standards of quality in its production methods. With one of the industry’s top cultivation teams, proprietary growing systems and a commitment to R&D, Flowr aims to become “the leading seller of premium, non-irradiated cannabis in the Canadian medical and recreational markets,” as co-founder, chairman and Chief Strategist Steve Klein stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/MTtiR).

In October 2018, the Canadian government legalized cannabis. It anticipated that 450,000 customers a day would participate in Canada’s cannabis market, which would make recreational cannabis use a $900 million industry (http://ibn.fm/HDmdl). Strong growth is predicted for this industry as adult-use spending increases. According to a forecast by analysts at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), cannabis sales in Canada will grow more than seven-fold to $6.8 billion, making the industry larger than the hard liquor market and almost as lucrative as the wine market.

Flowr is well-positioned to capture a significant share of this growth.

The company began selling its products to the medical and recreational markets in October 2018 and has projected that it will sell approximately 550,000 grams this year – a very strong start given that its facilities are currently 20 percent operational and only began cultivation in the spring of 2018. Flowr expects to have its “Kelowna 1” facility fully operational by mid-2019, with production expected to be at an annual rate of 12 million grams, creating the opportunity for rapid sales growth. The company plans to begin work on the much larger “Kelowna 2” facility almost immediately after it completes Kelowna 1, providing even more potential upside in coming years.

As much as volume is important, though, quality is Flowr’s calling card. Flowr’s high production standards and its facilities that are designed to pharmaceutical industry standards allow it to grow cannabis that meets Health Canada’s strict standards for cleanliness without the need for irradiation. Cannabis grown in greenhouses or lower quality facilities is almost always blasted with radioactive material (a process called irradiation) to kill mold and bacteria so that it can pass Health Canada inspection. While such treatment is allowed, it is known to diminish the consumer experience, as it leaves dead mold and bacteria particles on the flower and alters the taste and smell of the plant in other ways (http://ibn.fm/vZ3Vl).

As a result, Flowr and only a few other producers can meet the demand for premium quality cannabis, a key reason why its products were chosen for sale by government retailers in Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, as well as a private dispensary in Saskatchewan. This quality also played a role in the team behind Toronto’s highly successful Ace Hill Beer choosing Flowr as their partner for their new Ace Valley cannabis brand.

Despite being a relatively new company in the Canadian cannabis industry, Flowr already has multiple products available to more than half of Canada’s population, with plans to add more distribution channels in Canada and, potentially, internationally.

“In every consumer industry there is a sizable and very valuable market for premium or luxury goods and this will be true of the cannabis market,” added Klein. “We’re building Flowr to capture a huge share of this market as there are few, if any companies, who can match our ability to grow premium cannabis profitably and at scale.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Flowr.ca

• Despite recent market downturns in the cobalt sector, market analysts see more than 10 percent CAGR during coming decade
• Cobalt helps supply critical power to computer industry
• First Cobalt anticipates updated resource estimate completion in early 2019 for flagship United States cobalt exploration
• First Cobalt is also investigating options for restarting its refinery — the only permitted refinery capable of producing battery-grade cobalt in North America

A sustainable cobalt resource in North America could provide the world’s leading tech manufacturers with a conflict metal that’s free of the human rights concerns and profiteering politics evident in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 58 percent of global cobalt production originated last year (http://ibn.fm/C4b6s) and as much as two-thirds of the world’s output has been recorded. Aggressive work by pure-play cobalt explorer First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQX: FTSSF) (ASX: FCC) is making a commercial North American source look more and more like a possibility.

Cobalt is a rare yet necessary resource for modern computerized equipment, making up about 60 percent of the lithium cobaltate in the positive electrodes of the lithium-ion batteries that power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles and positioning it as a definitive element for the modern era.

After record price increases in 2017 and early 2018, cobalt’s market price has fallen as the DRC has output large quantities of the important metal (http://ibn.fm/IopwI). However, the DRC’s internal problems are causing companies heartburn outside of the country, and market analysts predict that the metal’s revenues will continue to grow at a CAGR of 10.3 percent through 2026 (http://ibn.fm/lxWfj).

Despite the sketchy Congolese history of human rights concerns and its government’s recent decision to triple royalties imposed on the foreign corporations mining within its borders (http://ibn.fm/HkynW), those mining companies continue to bank on the GDP-poor but mineral-rich nation. A cooperative group of electronic product companies recently launched a pilot project that is attempting to establish a conflict-free mining operation that might help assuage DRC-invested foreign countries’ consciences (http://ibn.fm/fj0R1).

The December 23 presidential elections in the Congo could further frustrate cobalt mining efforts, however, considering that the country has never experienced a peaceful transition of power (http://ibn.fm/SqiYM) and political instability tends to undermine a nation’s economic interests.

First Cobalt’s flagship Iron Creek project in central-eastern Idaho continues to expand as the company works to complete an updated resource estimate by early 2019. In a news release (http://ibn.fm/ssH59), CEO Trent Mell said that drilling results announced shortly before Thanksgiving provide “further support for the development vision for the future of the project.”

A United States-based mining operation would be further supplemented by the only currently permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing materials for lithium-ion batteries, which the company counts among its stable of resources in eastern Canada (http://ibn.fm/h51ml). First Cobalt has been in talks with third-party investors about the possibilities of funding the shuttered refinery’s restart operation and has been testing feedstock materials to see what will perform the best in the North American market (http://ibn.fm/81hba).

In the company’s back pocket is a third significant North American asset — the Greater Cobalt Project consisting of more than 50 mines that were historically productive in the Canadian Cobalt Camp of Ontario, near the refinery.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ibn.fm/FTSSF

• SinglePoint anticipates significant growth for online CBD product distribution subsidiary SingleSeed in 2019
• The growth will be fueled by legislative changes and the growth of SingleSeed’s organic reach in 2018
• Following approval of the federal Farm Bill that legalizes the commercial production of hemp, the CBD market is expected to reach volume of $20 billion by 2022

SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING), a technology company providing mobile payments and ancillary cannabis services, is looking forward to 2019, anticipating the expansion of its line of CBD products following recent legislative changes in the U.S. (http://ibn.fm/lQ8iB).

At the end of December 2018, the U.S. Senate approved a new federal Farm Bill that legalizes the commercial production of hemp. This means that hemp will be removed from the list of controlled substances.

The 2018 Farm Bill offers reclassification after decades of campaigning due to the fact that hemp and marijuana were treated the same way by law. While the two are related, hemp lacks the concentration of THC in marijuana that produces the so-called “high” of smoking.

Analysts predict that hemp and CBD products are poised for a massive boom following the approval of the Farm Bill.

CBD products reached a sales volume of $350 million in 2017, regardless of U.S. legislative issues (http://ibn.fm/u51cx). Following the complete legalization, much faster growth is anticipated in the coming years, with some forecasts suggesting industry expansion to $20 billion by 2022 (http://ibn.fm/rlMVe).

SinglePoint has put a lot of emphasis on the distribution of CBD products in 2018. Its subsidiary, SingleSeed, distributes products derived from hemp via its website – www.SingleSeed.com. Multiple new product listings were added to the site in 2018, and a lot of work was done to increase the platform’s organic reach.

“We are excited about the opportunity to be in the distribution space for CBD products, I took a distribution company public on the NASDAQ in 1996. I believe with the contacts and the massive opportunity in the market SinglePoint may be able to break in to the big box stores once the Farm Bill passes and the exact rulings shake out,” SinglePoint CEO Greg Lambrecht stated in a news release.

SinglePoint is focused on becoming a large CBD distributor that relies on a massive online presence and significant retail distribution reach. So far, the company has gotten excellent results from CBD product distribution. Additional funnels will be added in 2019 to drive an even larger number of customers to SingleSeed.

Company forecasts suggest that SingleSeed will be one of the top SinglePoint revenue producing subsidiaries over the coming year. As the expansion is taking place, SinglePoint is seeing a number of new customers and nice margins, SinglePoint president Wil Ralston said.

The expansion is further aided through the activities of another SinglePoint subsidiary – DIGS. The company is fulfilling many of the SingleSeed orders through the provision of bulk CBD in crude and isolate form supplies.

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

• Industrial hemp to be removed from the list of controlled substances under U.S. federal law
• Proposed licensing agreement with VitaMist for exclusive rights in the global Asian market for a new sprayable vitamin and vitamin/CBD product line
• Company recently announced the appointment of a chief financial officer of CBD Biotech, its CBD spin-off and wholly owned subsidiary

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX), the premier financial information website for Chinese-speaking investors, is increasingly enthusiastic about the unique role it is playing within the cannabis industry as laws change globally.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the farm bill, recently passed in the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. It was also signed by President Trump (http://ibn.fm/ELcOR). This bill includes Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Hemp Farming Act, which removes industrial hemp from the list of controlled substances under federal law. This is good news for CIIX, which recognized the opportunities in the U.S. early on. The company has offices located in the U.S. and China, representing a key link between the U.S. and global Chinese community, and it is working on creating additional CBD products in nutrition and cosmetics.

In addition to the changing laws in the United States, CIIX is excited about its new ventures. In a recent press release (http://ibn.fm/2NWRw), the company announced its intent to enter into a licensing agreement with VitaMist Ltd.

In 1985, VitaMist was awarded the first patent ever for a spray vitamin and has established itself over the years as a recognized brand with over three million individual product sales. Its innovative spray technology, brand recognition, 30 years in the industry and 40+ proprietary vitamin formulas represent a significant addition to CIIX as the company expands product lines globally. “We truly believe,” CIIX CEO Warren Wang stated in a news release, “VitaMist’s innovative and effective delivery system is the future for CBD consumption.”

VitaMist CEO Richard Heineck is equally optimistic regarding the upcoming new sprayable vitamin and vitamin/CBD product line that will be designed exclusively for CIIX and the global Asian market, referring to the proposed licensing agreement as a “grand slam!”  VitaMist’s delivery system and precise dosing methodology and CIIX’s focus on the Asian consumer market all play into making these two companies a promising pair.

Wang expressed excitement at being a part of expanding reach into the global industrial hemp industry. The company’s ties to the Asian consumer market are strong, and, with South Korea becoming the first East Asian country to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, Wang is hopeful that Thailand will soon follow.

The company is one step closer in the process of spinning off its CBD division through the appointment of new leadership. Alex Hamilton has been appointed to the position of chief financial officer of CIIX’s wholly owned subsidiary, CBD Biotechnology, Ltd. (http://ibn.fm/VgZO0). Hamilton joins Summer Yun, CEO of CBD Biotech. Hamilton has been appointed to oversee the spin-off of the CBD division under the guidance of Wang, freeing CIIX to refocus on its core financial services and media business.

CIIX is a leading financial information website for Chinese-speaking investors throughout the United States, Canada and China. The company is laying the groundwork to capitalize on the growing demand for CBD-based nutrition and health products. The development of new product lines with VitaMist is only a small part of a much larger, globally-focused business plan.

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

• Farm Bill 2018 legalizes hemp production in the United States, with some restrictions
• Hemp industry already estimated to reach over $1 billion in 2018 revenues
• Sugarmade, Inc. investing in hemp production to take advantage of the fast-growing U.S. hemp and cannabis market

Sugarmade, Inc. (OTC: SGMD), one of the largest publicly traded hydroponic supply companies, is discovering new opportunities in the hemp and cannabis industry as a landmark farm bill legalizes hemp cultivation in the United States.

The 2018 Farm Bill, approved by Congress and signed by President Trump, signifies important progress for enthusiasts of the cannabis plant and its by-products. While former laws did not differentiate between hemp and other cannabis plants (all were deemed illegal under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970), this latest bill has legalized the production of hemp in the United States, with some restrictions (http://ibn.fm/w3UXJ).

One noteworthy restriction dictates that hemp may contain no more than 0.3 percent THC, which is the plant’s compound responsible for creating a ‘high’. If a hemp product exceeds this amount, it would be classified as marijuana and thus no longer be protected under the Farm Bill.

The U.S. industrial hemp market is estimated to reach over $1 billion in 2018 revenues. Recently, Sugarmade has expanded its reach in the hydroponics industry and has strategic intentions to stay abreast of this burgeoning market, which will be made all the more lucrative with the passing of the 2018 legislation. The company is poised to meet this market upswell, as it has recently started planting an ultra-high cannabidiol (CBD) industrial hemp strain in Kentucky, which is known as “one of the best places to cultivate hemp in the world.”

Many in the industry are comparing the booming cannabis and hemp industry to the gold rush of the 19th century. As legalization legislation spreads throughout the country and economic demand for the products grows, companies are clamoring to diversify their products and services in order to get a piece of the multi-billion dollar action. Sugarmade is a noteworthy example. It has launched its own industrial hemp initiative, evidenced in part by its investment in Hempistry, a company specializing in hemp production. Among other industries, hemp has been seeing immense popularity in food and body care products, and it was recently named one of the top trends to watch by Whole Foods Market (http://ibn.fm/RuRez).

Sugarmade, Inc. seeks to strengthen its competitive edge in the hemp and cannabis market through expansion and acquisition of brands with disruptive potential. Its current brands include ZenHydro.com, CarryOutSupplies.com and BudLife.

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

• Inferred mineral resource estimate at flagship Iron Creek Cobalt Project includes 26.9 million tonnes grading 0.11 percent cobalt equivalent
• Company working to extend the strike length and down dip depth by at least double current measures
• Electric vehicle (EV) revolution reveals dramatic increase in demand for cobalt, a key ingredient in rechargeable batteries
• High voltage battery market projected to grow to $89.1 billion by 2025 from $8.9 billion in 2018 at CAGR of 38.95 percent

First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQX: FTSSF) (ASX: FCC), a North American pure-play cobalt company whose flagship asset is the Iron Creek Cobalt Project located in Idaho, has filed its first NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate for the project and is already anticipating an updated resource estimate in early 2019. In a recently released corporate video, members of the company’s senior leadership team offered a compelling discussion defining the characteristics that make Iron Creek a unique cobalt asset (http://ibn.fm/pEbkx).

Cobalt has become a critically important metal because of its use as a component in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which are used in cars, buses, smartphones and a host of other devices. Cobalt enables rechargeable batteries to stock energy without overheating. First Cobalt’s progress at Iron Creek is tangible as crews continue exploratory drilling. Significant infrastructure is in place at the site to support multiple drills, including 600 meters of underground development and an all-weather road connecting the project to a state highway. The Iron Creek property consists of patented mining claims surrounded by unpatented mining claims covering an area of 1,698 acres.

First Cobalt has identified two primary zones of mineral potential at its Iron Creek Cobalt Project, including the Waite and No Name zones, with inferred mineral resources of 26.9 million metric tons grading 0.11 percent cobalt equivalent. The zones comprise more than 500 meters (1,640.4 feet) of known strike length and dip depth of over 150 meters (492.1 feet) for the inferred resource statement, which are now being doubled through additional drilling along a 1,000-meter (3,280.8-foot) strike with testing of down dip extensions in known cobalt-copper zones to more than 300 meters (984.3 feet) below the surface, an earlier press release states (http://ibn.fm/8dW7k). Three drill rigs have been working to spur completion of an updated resource estimate by early 2019.

Demand for cobalt continues to rise as the world’s nations strive to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and move more decisively toward electrification of transportation. Cobalt demand in the electric vehicle (EV) industry is expected to be between 10 and 25 times higher than current levels by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency’s Global Electric Vehicles Outlook (http://ibn.fm/B3r3k). The number of electric and plug-in hybrid cars on the world’s roads exceeded three million in 2017, marking a 54 percent increase when compared with 2016, per IEA data. MarketsandMarkets projects that the global high voltage battery market will grow from $8.9 billion in 2018 to nearly $90 billion by 2025, achieving a compound annual growth rate of nearly 39 percent, as Digital Journal reports (http://ibn.fm/kP1gW).

As a North American pure-play cobalt company whose flagship asset is the Iron Creek Cobalt Project in Idaho, which has Inferred Mineral Resources of 26.9 million tonnes grading 0.11 percent cobalt equivalent, First Cobalt is focused on building a North American cobalt supply chain. The company’s other assets include 50 past-producing mines in the Canadian Cobalt Camp and the only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ibn.fm/FTSSF

• SHRV has now reached cumulative sales of greater than $39 million since the December 2017 launch of products through its Elepreneur and Elevacity Global subsidiaries
• Product sales for the health & wellness division of Elevacity Global generated significant increases; SHRV also credits growth to implementation of its ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’
• SHRV intends to execute global expansion plans in 2019; earlier this year, it signed a joint venture agreement to sell its products in Asia

Sharing Services, Inc. (OTCQB: SHRV) reported revenues of $17.9 million for its second fiscal quarter of 2018, as compared to the company’s $12.9 million in first quarter 2018 revenue. SHRV said that its corporate record sales were driven in part by the success of Elevacity products (http://ibn.fm/PNtNF). It also said that it is supporting its pursuit of expansion by bringing on experienced talent and establishing a new corporate headquarters.

SHRV is a Plano, Texas-based diversified holding company that owns, operates or controls a variety of companies engaged in direct selling through independent sales representatives. It also offers services such as energy, technology and insurance.

In a news release (http://ibn.fm/wXwWf), John “JT” Thatch, CEO of SHRV, said, “Our second quarter results represent yet another significant milestone as we exceed our goals at a record-breaking pace and execute our mission to change the direct-selling industry with best-in-class products and services under our unique ‘Blue Ocean Strategy.’”

The Blue Ocean Strategy is a concept of marketing in an uncontested marketplace. SHRV also noted that its health-and-wellness line has been very successful and helped drive the sales gains.

The company plans to expand globally in the future. It recently signed a joint venture agreement with Hong Kong-based Health Wealth & Happiness Ltd. (HWH) to sell its products throughout Asia and expand its Elepreneur program (http://ibn.fm/IxAck).

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