• Vinay Tolia, co-CEO of Flowr, sees the move as giving the company exposure to European and Australian markets
• The company believes that the combination of its cultivation expertise with Holigen’s development of large-scale cannabis facilities could result in one of the lowest-cost producers worldwide
• Clarus Securities has initiated coverage on FLWR stock with a ‘speculative buy’ rating and a one-year price target of $5; its research report projects adjusted EBITDA of C$6.8 million in FY2019

The Flowr Corporation’s (TSX.V: FLWR) (OTC: FLWPF) acquisition of 19.8 percent of Holigen Limited for a cash payment of C$6 million and the signing of an intellectual property sharing agreement is expected to have far-reaching benefits for the company. Flowr says that it will result in an acceleration of Holigen’s projects, including an outdoor cultivation license on a seven million square foot site in Portugal with the potential to produce 500,000 kg of cannabis products annually (http://ibn.fm/hIlOQ).

Flowr, through its subsidiaries, is a vertically integrated Canadian cannabis company and licensed producer that focuses on non-irradiated premium flower production. Its headquarters are in Markham, Ontario; and its production facilities are in Kelowna, British Columbia. Using its patented growing systems, it conducts large-scale cultivation operations built to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. It is also well positioned to serve the adult use market with a line of premium cannabis products.

Based in Portugal and Australia, Holigen is forming partnerships with cannabis distributors in Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and Ireland. It also has strong ties to the largest medical cannabis distributor in Australia. The company is in the final stages of obtaining a license to export cannabis from Portugal, giving it potential direct marketing access to the European Union and other global markets.

“We believe this is a transformative transaction that establishes Flowr as a global player in the cannabis industry,” CEO Vinay Tolia of Flowr stated in a news release. “We’re using our financial strength and industry-leading cultivation expertise to gain exposure to the rapidly expanding European and Australian markets through Holigen.”

FLWR is focused on high-yield production and believes that Holigen’s outdoor production site in Portugal could offer one of the lowest cost cannabis cultivation opportunities globally, given Portugal’s ideal climate and relatively low land and labor expenses, as well as Flowr’s cultivation expertise. Holigen is currently developing four cultivation facilities in Portugal and Australia along with production and research and development sites.

Holigen expects to complete licensing for its first site in Portugal by the middle of 2019 and plans to be one of the few licensed companies in Europe producing products in GMP-compliant facilities.

Flowr is receiving coverage from Clarus Securities. In a research note to investors, Noel Atkinson, analyst at Clarus, projects that Flowr will grow to adjusted EBITDA of C$6.8 million in FY2019, as he stated in the Cantech Letter (http://ibn.fm/4ZeJ7).

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

• In December 2018, Plus Products finalized the acquisition of GOOD CO-OP to further cement its leadership position within the California cannabis-infused edibles field
• Through the acquisition, Plus will gain quick access to the baked edibles market – one of the most rapidly growing niches in the space
• The CAGR of cannabis-infused baked goods for the coming five years is forecast at 14.12 percent, and the overall edibles market is expected to exceed $3 billion

Plus Products Inc. (CSE: PLUS) announced in December 2018 that it had finalized the acquisition of GOOD CO-OP Inc. – a California-based cannabis-infused baked goods brand. This acquisition is expected to enable Plus to solidify its top position in the edibles field (http://ibn.fm/B7bwv).

The acquisition is valued at approximately C$2.03 million and will be satisfied through the issuance of 357,464 restricted subordinate voting shares of Plus.

Currently, Plus ranks as the leading edibles brand in California, and its primary focus is within one of the largest edibles categories – gummies. Through the acquisition of GOOD CO-OP, Plus gains a strategic advantage in that it can enter a second rapidly-growing category, that of baked goods.

In 2018, the baked goods category accounted for approximately 13 percent of the cannabis-infused edibles market. Cannabis-infused edibles represent the most rapidly-evolving product category in the cannabis field. The market is projected to reach volumes ranging from $3 billion-$5 billion in the next five years, which would represent an overall increase of 130 percent (http://ibn.fm/llF3W).

The five-year CAGR of baked goods is one of the highest in the industry at 14.12 percent. Sugar candies and gummies are also projected to grow significantly over the coming five years, at a CAGR of 15.94 percent.

Plus Products already has a well-established market position that could promote fast growth in the years to come. In Q3 2018, the company ranked as the number one edible brand in California (http://ibn.fm/D3sca). According to the ranking, the two best-selling branded products are PLUS Sour Watermelon Gummies and PLUS Blackberry and Lemon Gummies, according to BDS Analytics and Headset retail sales data analysis. These two products have scored top positions across all categories in California, including flower, vaporizer, edible and topical products.

“We grew PLUS into the top edibles company in California by leading with our product. We have focused on manufacturing consistent, high quality edibles that resonate with consumers,” Plus CEO Jake Heimark said in a news release. The year of 2018 was a big one for Plus, and the company continues to strive to expand its portfolio and broaden its geographic reach moving forward, Heimark added.

In his words, the acquisition of GOOD CO-OP accelerates the company’s entry into the baked edibles field. It will help solidify the company’s market position even further. According to Heimark, Plus is committed to becoming the largest edibles brand across all legal jurisdictions.

GOOD CO-OP is a premium edibles brand that focuses predominantly on the creation of delicious cannabis-infused brownies and other baked goods. Taste and flavor profiles are two of the brand’s primary concerns, which is why GOOD CO-OP does not use additives or preservatives.

The GOOD CO-OP product portfolio includes bite-size brownies and pumpkin spice blondies, among other products. These have been featured in various reputable media like Vice Magazine, Fortune and Eater.

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

• Development of frozen formulation of Bria-IMT completed for on-demand shipment to clinical sites
• Novel formulation is easily transportable to distant locations, easy to use, safe and has improved potency; it accommodates higher patient volumes at reduced per-dose costs
• Promising novel immunotherapy technology provides hope to patients with advanced breast cancer
• Breast cancer remains the leading cancer diagnosed in women and the second-most common cancer overall

Immuno-oncology focused biotechnology company, BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (OTCQB: BCTXF) (TSX.V: BCT) recently announced the imminent clinical use of a novel, frozen formulation of Bria-IMT, the company’s lead cancer drug candidate targeting the unmet medical needs of advanced breast cancer patients. Comprehensive data analysis is underway following completion of a Phase I/IIa clinical trial of Bria-IMT in a combination study with pembrolizumab – marketed as KEYTRUDA® by Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) – and listed on ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03328026.

The company’s frozen formulation allows for the storage of cryopreserved, ready-to-inject Bria-IMT for cold-chain overnight transport to clinical sites where it will be thawed prior to injection in patients. This unique formulation of Bria-IMT has also shown improved potency compared to the old formulation in vitro. Long term, this novel, frozen formulation is expected to carry reduced per-dose costs compared to the old formulation, the company stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/qHd1W). Bria-IMT activates the immune system to destroy cancer cells in a way that’s believed to be both unique and more effective than other, similar approaches. The frozen formulation will also be applicable to Bria-OTS, BriaCell’s personalized off-the-shelf immunotherapy, which is being developed.

“Currently, the old formulation of Bria-IMT used in the clinical trials was cumbersome to prepare, as it had to be processed the day before administration to patients. This created a great deal of inconvenience and complexities for the manufacturer, clinicians and patients,” Dr. Bill Williams, BriaCell’s president and CEO, said in a news release. “The new frozen formulation has shown improved potency and stability in vitro and, based on its constituents and injection route, is expected to be highly bioavailable. This enhances Bria-IMT’s potential to address patient needs as a ready-to-use treatment alternative that can be prepared in advance, is easily transportable to distant locations in large quantities, is easy to use, and is safe and highly effective.”

Cryopreservation is a process that preserves organelles, cells, tissues or any other biological constructs by cooling the samples to very low temperatures. The successful cryopreservation of cells and tissues is the subject of intensive research for many medical applications, as noted in a scholarly article (“Cryopreservation and its clinical applications”) published online by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (http://ibn.fm/vdD5Y).

“We are excited to add this novel technology to our growing immunotherapy franchise as we advance safe and effective treatment solutions for advanced breast cancer, an unmet medical need,” Williams continued. “We look forward to the efficacy data of our ongoing clinical trial, which will provide further evidence for this promising novel therapy to bring hope to patients with advanced breast cancer.”

Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women and the second-most common cancer overall, with over two million new cases diagnosed worldwide in 2018, according to the World Cancer Research Fund International (http://ibn.fm/bvFox). Research into powerful immunotherapies for cancer, also known as immune-oncology, is growing, the Cancer Research Institute (“CRI”) noted in an article highlighting a robust international interest in the field (http://ibn.fm/huQb5). The article, titled “Trends in the global immune-oncology landscape,” appeared online in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery from Nature Publishing Group.

“The quantitative analyses from this report reveal a 67 percent increase of the number of active immuno-oncology pipeline agents in a year, showing the unprecedented enthusiasm and commitment of the field,” said Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, Ph.D., chief executive officer and director of scientific affairs at the Cancer Research Institute.

Cancer care affects not just the patient, but caregivers as well, with many concerned about the financial impact and availability of care near where they live, as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) noted in its second annual National Cancer Opinion Survey (http://ibn.fm/wlm4g). Bria-Cell’s frozen formulation of its lead cancer drug candidate, Bria-IMT, importantly offers the ability to easily transport the cryopreserved formulation anywhere it is most needed and at an expected reduced per-dose cost.

“Patients are right to be concerned about the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis on their families. It’s clear that high treatment costs are taking a serious toll not only on patients, but also on the people who care for them,” added ASCO Chief Medical Officer Richard L. Schilsky, MD, FACP, FASCO. “If a family member has been diagnosed with cancer, the sole focus should be helping them get well. Instead, Americans are worrying about affording treatment, and in many cases, they’re making serious personal sacrifices to help pay for their loved ones’ care.”

BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. will present a poster at a 2019 Keystone Symposia scientific conference being held on January 20-24, 2019, at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in Vancouver, British Columbia. The poster will highlight BriaCell’s recent clinical and research-focused development of Bria-IMT and BriaDX, the corresponding companion diagnostic test, which helps identify those patients most likely to benefit from Bria-IMT, as well as Bria-OTS, the first off-the-shelf personalized treatment for advanced stage breast cancer.

BriaCell management will also attend Biotech Showcase 2019, an important investor conference taking place on January 7-9, 2019, at Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California.

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

• As the 2018 Federal Farm Bill legalizes hemp across the U.S., SinglePoint prepares for rapid growth in 2019
• The company is working on development programs and potential acquisitions in order to establish its leading industry position
• Through hemp legalization, the industry is expected to grow exponentially in the years to come, reaching a volume of $20 billion by 2022

Congressional approval of the 2018 Federal Farm Bill that removes hemp production from federal prohibition is expected to create amazing new opportunities for industry representatives in 2019 and beyond. SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) released an official statement underlining that the legislative change will provide a huge chance for growth for the company via subsidiary SingleSeed (www.SingleSeed.com) – an ecommerce seller and distributor of industrial hemp-based CBD products (http://ibn.fm/ruZvq).

The mainstream approval of hemp and it turning into a federally legal commodity will enable the company to expand its portfolio and add more offerings. Industrial hemp now has an opportunity to be competitive in the global marketplace, SinglePoint’s statement reads.

In addition, SinglePoint is currently negotiating potential acquisitions across different sectors, the company announced. Through its acquisition model, SinglePoint expects to continue growing revenue in 2019. The company was among several companies positioned to capitalize on the legislation measures and continue growing, according to InvestorIdeas.com, a leading investor news resource covering hemp and cannabis stocks in a 2019 outlook for the sector (http://ibn.fm/ovsY1).

SinglePoint is exploring opportunities to produce industrial hemp through joint ventures with leading industry representatives. Investment and development programs are also under consideration. Through such programs, strains of CBD extracted from hemp will be grown in a photobioreactor for the purpose of making the process faster and more cost-efficient.

According to company CEO Greg Lambrecht, SinglePoint is working to become a key player in the distribution and sourcing of the best hemp products on the market. The company’s managerial team is confident that the current business model and the planned expansions will contribute to its sustainable growth and reputation establishment efforts in 2019.

The Federal Farm Bill was ratified by President Donald Trump on December 20, 2018. As a result, hemp is no longer considered a schedule one substance. Before the passing of the bill, hemp production in the U.S. was mostly limited. The legislative change that turns hemp into a lawful agricultural commodity is expected to contribute to exceptionally rapid growth in the field.

According to some forecasts, the industry could top $20 billion by 2022 (http://ibn.fm/dNr3f). Right now, the largest share of the hemp market is formed by CBD products, and their dominance will likely remain unchanged. Investor interest in the sector is expected to grow rapidly once hemp production goes outside the realm of pilot programs and research initiatives.

Since hemp is now legal in all 50 states, experts predict that 2019 is going to be the ‘year of CBD’ (http://ibn.fm/ju0TI). In 2018 alone, the U.S. saw an 80 percent increase of the CBD market. The growth was fueled mainly by small and medium-sized retailers. The Federal Farm Bill could now turn the attention of much larger entities toward the industry, contributing to more rapid growth in the years to come.

SinglePoint specializes in the acquisition of small and medium-sized companies with an emphasis on new technologies. The company enables investors to make investments across a wide range of assets, including blockchain, cryptocurrency applications and cannabis, among others.

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

• Canadian cannabis market set for CAGR of 77.9 percent to 2021
• Icon’s Vertical integration strategy could capture high margins
• Company will have operations in cultivation, extraction and retail

The legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada has made analysts project rapid growth for the industry. Spending on adult-use marijuana (http://ibn.fm/BtVkp) is “estimated to reach over $3 billion in 2021, driving a CAGR of 77.9 percent from 2018-2021.” Eventually, Canada’s legal cannabis market will likely be comparable in size to the hard liquor or wine market. Growing organically, some sectors will be profitable (others, perhaps, less so), but telling which may not be so easy. Consequently, the vertical integration strategy that Icon Exploration Inc. (TSX.V: IEX.H) is employing, by straddling the value chain, seems best for capturing the highest margins. The company will have a finger in many pies. It has been stocking up on talent as it prepares to commence operations in cannabis cultivation, refining and extraction and retail.

Even before the legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018, the cannabis market in Canada had been growing at a healthy clip. The number of medical marijuana patients has been increasing by 10 percent monthly, sales of dried cannabis have risen at six percent monthly and the sale of cannabis oil has increased by 16 percent monthly. In 2017, about 4.9 million Canadians aged 15 to 64 spent an estimated $5.7 billion on cannabis for medical and non-medical purposes. This is equivalent to about $1,200 per cannabis consumer. In this lucrative market, Icon’s primary objective is to create a well-diversified company focused on assessing and potentially acquiring targets in the cannabis industry.

The company is close to completing its acquisition of City View Green (CVG), a vertically integrated cannabis company. CVG has submitted an application to Health Canada for an Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) license, which is now at the in-depth review stage of the licensing process. CVG plans to develop a 40,000-square-foot growing facility near Toronto, about half of which will be converted into a modern greenhouse. The facility will have state-of-the-art LED lighting, HVAC and dehumidification systems and automation technologies designed to optimize the quality, safety and consistency of cannabis production.

A further 4,000 square feet will be used to house an extraction laboratory featuring an ultra-efficient CO2 supercritical extraction process, with plans to include ethanol extraction technology in the future. Another 4.3 acres remain available for future construction of up to 125,000 square feet of grow and extraction space. Production plans include producing high quality edible products, distillates and water-soluble products for the rapidly expanding CBD-infused (cannabidiol) beverage market.

Icon has been acquiring top talent, as well. Its management team now includes a master grower with cannabis-industry experience to manage indoor grow operations, as well as an extraction expert whose expertise in developing and launching new products was honed while working in Washington state’s cannabis sector. In addition, negotiations are currently in progress with a private company that is seeking 37 retail cannabis licenses in Alberta, Canada, and discussions with various entities in Europe are also underway to arrange an off-take agreement for CBD oils and extracts.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.IconExploration.net

• Consumer reports show growing tendency to reject smoke-inhaled substances such as cigarettes
• Sproutly Canada’s solution provides truly water-soluble cannabis product that mimics rapid onset, offset of smoked drug
• Cannabis-infused beverage market potential forecast between $900 million and $4.4 billion by 2024

As savvy cannabis investors look toward the market potential of the beverage-ization of their natural plant products, suppliers such as Sproutly Canada, Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (FRA: 38G) are strengthening their operations by adding more experienced executives, building their distribution networks and increasing their output capabilities.

Sproutly Canada is focused on cultivating pharmaceutical-grade cannabis for the backbone of its technological breakthrough in creating the first natural, truly water-soluble cannabis solution. The company aims to use water-soluble ingredients such as its patent pending Infuz2O product in beverages capable of mimicking the rapid onset and rapid wear-off effects of inhaled cannabis, providing an especially appealing alternative to smoked products.

The company’s Infuz2O solution will supplement in establishing revolutionary brands that can deliver predictable, measurable amounts of cannabis to consumers that are true to strain. Despite the company’s 16,600-square-foot closed-loop production facility that’s capable of producing 1,400 kilograms of dried flower per year, Sproutly’s business model is not constrained by the amount of cannabis it grows, thanks to its readiness to source natural product on the open market through its network.

Sproutly anticipates that the cannabis-infused beverage market will bring in revenues between $900 million and $4.4 billion by 2024, depending on the percentage of the market that it captures, drawing on statistics reported by Deloitte and its own analysis (http://ibn.fm/WVjFU). The figures do not account for the potential of a premium market based on Sproutly’s technology for delivering naturally water-soluble solutions to supply cannabis-based beverages and edibles.

On November 20, the company announced that it had migrated the license of its wholly owned subsidiary, Toronto Herbal Remedies Inc. (“THR”), to compliance with the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) standards in order to gain authorization to possess cannabis; obtain dried cannabis, fresh cannabis, cannabis plants or cannabis plant seeds by cultivating, propagating, and harvesting cannabis; and to sell cannabis, including to other licensed producers (http://ibn.fm/HbnC6).

The product growth potential of the company is accompanied by the addition of long-time international wine and spirits industry executive Constantine Constandis to its advisory board (http://ibn.fm/NnG5E), with the expectation that he will become an independent board of directors member after the company’s next annual general meeting increases the size of that board, according to an announcement on November 29.

Constandis was a former senior executive with Pernod Ricard SA, the publicly traded producer of wine and spirits whose global portfolio includes Absolute Vodka, Jameson, The Glenlivet and Beefeater, among others.

“His experience in brand building, operations, sales and marketing in the highly-regulated spirits industry will prove to be extremely valuable to Sproutly as it continues to develop into a leading cannabis beverage company,” CEO and President Keith Dolo stated in the news release.

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

• Net Element transaction with Argus Merchant Services and Treasury Payments leads to expectations of added gross profits in next four years
• E-commerce expected to command larger share of sales revenues than brick-and-mortar retail by 2022
• Net Element technologies adaptable to wide variety of mobile and online business needs

World finance technology innovator Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) is building its own capital potential as well as that of its customers, announcing recently that it has acquired cash flow assets that are expected to generate well over $4 million in gross profits over the next four years and continued profits thereafter.

The $1.42 million transaction through subsidiary Unified Portfolio Acquisitions is a step forward in the company’s five-year partnership with credit and debit card payment processing platforms Argus Merchant Services, LLC and Treasury Payments, LLC, both under the direction of Argus President Jacob Shimon. Additionally, Argus’ total billing commitment to Net Element’s Unified Payments subsidiary is expected to generate over $19 million in gross margin during the next five years, according to a news release issued by the company (http://ibn.fm/3KrQv).

“The unprecedented support and commitment we have received from Net Element has not only helped us grow our business, but also establish strategic partnerships with our ISO’s and agents. We feel confident that this transaction will boost our continued growth and establish a strong leading presence in the market,” Eugene Gold, managing partner of Argus Merchant Services and CEO of WOW Payments, stated in the news release.

Net Element focuses its payments as a service model on the needs of small- to medium-sized enterprises in the United States and select emerging markets. The company provides point of sale support to restaurants and retailers through its Aptito technological solution (http://ibn.fm/C57yZ), to hotel and tourism industry enterprises through its VIP Payments platform (http://ibn.fm/WSrSt) and to kiosk and truck vendors through its Unified Mobile Payments (http://ibn.fm/lbysK). It also adds online B2B e-commerce services for brick and mortar storefronts through Netevia (http://ibn.fm/hPj4u).

Worldwide commerce continues to increase its level of transaction online and through networked mobile devices. Market researcher Euromonitor International forecasts that it will grow exponentially by 2022 to become a larger channel than traditional grocery retail (http://ibn.fm/A0m9u), even though it currently commands less than a quarter of that market share, according to Shopify.com (http://ibn.fm/TGFo9).

The success of e-commerce businesses will depend on their ability to manage multiple channels of customer engagement — the widely varying means by which potential clients gain information about what a business offers as they shop around. Net Element’s omni-channel PayOnline platform takes a global view of commerce as it aims to deliver flexible solutions to international markets where diverse banking, regulatory and demographic conditions exist.

The company recently scaled back its European ventures, but it added a unique development when it announced that it would partner with Sputnik Bank in Russia to provide third-party bank processing to other banks locked into the country’s increasingly outdated legacy systems (http://ibn.fm/RqgWn).

“We believe this is the first bank to provide a wholesale service to other Russian banks and if executed properly could be a huge success,” the company stated in its news release about the partnership. “In the future, this entity could even be spun off into its own independent fintech company like many of the banks in the U.S. have done.”

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

• 100 percent ownership of the Cyclops Nickel-Cobalt Project in strategic location along northern coast of Indonesia
• Production/mining permits issued along with environmental (AMDAL) permit issued
• Significant, shallow mineralization at project site with a historical* estimate of 37Mt @ 0.11% Co and 1.31%Ni at 0.8% Ni cut-off grade
• Significant potential for expansion as mineralization is open at depth and on-strike
• Estimate based on over 856 shallow drill holes and 26 test pits
• Historical (non-compliant to 43-101 standards) high-grade drill intercepts of 8m @ 0.18% Co; 13m @ 0.15% Co; and 10m @ 0.19% Co
• Strategically located near China, the world’s largest cobalt buyer
• Cyclops Project Area covers 5,000 hectares with 9 prospects including 5 drill-tested and known cobalt-nickel prospects
• Preliminary Offtake Agreement signed with China’s top battery materials supplier, Beijing Easpring

Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. (CSE: BOLT) (OTCQB: PCRCF) (XFRA: NXFE) is a Canada-based exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of production-grade cobalt deposits, a key raw material input for the growing lithium-ion battery industry.

Pacific Rim Cobalt and its Cyclops Nickel-Cobalt Project, located in the Depapre District, Jayapura Regency, Papua Province, Republic of Indonesia, is uniquely positioned in a region with potentially the largest source of cobalt outside of Africa. Strategically located near China, the world’s largest cobalt buyer, the Cyclops Project is a laterite (iron-hosted) mineral prospect, rich in cobalt and nickel. Cobalt consumption in China is on-track to use over 8,000 tonnes of cobalt annually by 2021 for electric vehicle production alone and is projected to remain the world’s largest cobalt consumer for many years to come.

Global demand for renewable power is fueling a massive shift from traditional energy supply chain economics to cobalt-reliant lithium-ion batteries, the world’s most widely used power source for portable applications such as electric vehicles and other high-tech applications.

Pacific Rim Cobalt management has concluded that strategic access to major markets offers the most important factor to servicing the rising demand for cobalt. The company’s acquisition of its initial asset in Indonesia offers near surface, strong nickel-cobalt mineralization in an area with excellent infrastructure including a nearby workforce, supplies, sealed roads, ocean access, nearby port facility and gentle topography. The project area, nestled on the north coast of Papua, Indonesia, establishes Pacific Rim Cobalt well within the economically attractive ocean-going transportation range to Asia and its lucrative, growing industrial markets.

Exploration efforts are currently focused on establishing a maiden compliant resource for the Cyclops project, both in historically identified and drill-tested prospects as well as previously unexplored areas of the claims. During the first nine months of 2018, the company focused on assembling the necessary agreements to access northern areas of the project hosting historically identified mineralized zones. Mapping, sampling and a mini-bulk sample within the mineralized zones has been completed, along with a small-scale program in the previously unexplored far southern area of the project. With surface access to priority targets now established, Pacific Rim Cobalt will initiate drilling and extract additional mini-bulk samples for further metallurgical testing.

“We are excited and optimistic about the unique possibility of developing this project into an asset that will add shareholder value and position the company to play a future role in the battery metals supply chain,” Pacific Rim Cobalt CEO Ranjeet Sundher recently stated (http://nnw.fm/u1HNs). “We expect the near-surface nature of cobalt/nickel mineralization at the Cyclops project will lend itself well to low-cost, logistically straightforward drilling. We thus anticipate the opportunity to undertake a resource calculation study, as well as ongoing metallurgy and process option testing, will present itself in the near future. It’s going to be a busy year ahead, and we look forward to getting the drills turning and building value.”

Pacific Rim Cobalt’s world-class management team includes Sundher, who has over 20 years of capital markets experience. Sundher is also president of Canrim Ventures Ltd., a Singaporean advisory firm specializing in early stage project finance and structure. He previously founded Indogold Exploration, a Jakarta-based mining service firm, and has raised over $40 million for companies in which he was a founder/partner.

Chief Financial Officer Steve Vanry has 25 years of professional experience in senior management positions with public and private natural resources companies, providing expertise in capital markets corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, accounting and financial reporting.

Andre Talaska serves as country manager and technical supervisor. He has over 30 years of experience in the mining and exploration industry and has held senior positions with several companies in Australia and southeast Asia. Shakir Juffry, business development/engineering, is a chemical engineer and extractive metallurgist by background training who has over 20 years of experience in the Indonesian mining and minerals exploration field. Toto Suarto Sajali, operation and development manager, is a mining engineer with over 15 years of experience in Indonesian project assessment, development and operations.

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

• Redfund Capital’s 2018 portfolio consists of five companies; a total of 11 companies are in the pipeline at various due diligence stages
• New partnership was announced at the end of November for the purpose of developing water-soluble cannabis technologies
• During 2019, Redfund intends to maintain its CBD industry focus

The year of 2018 featured a number of important developments for Redfund Capital Corp. (CSE: LOAN) (OTC: PNNRF) (Frankfurt: O3X4), the first medical cannabis incubator and accelerator financing medical cannabis, CBD and hemp companies through a debt facility.

At the end of November, the company announced a key partnership with Cannabis Strategic Ventures (OTC: NUGS) for the development of water-soluble cannabis technologies to be used in the food and beverage industry, via Redfund-owned Biolog Inc. (http://ibn.fm/qYedJ).

According to representatives of Redfund and Cannabis Strategic Ventures, water-soluble cannabis technologies provide new opportunities for growth in the world of CBD products. Current water-soluble cannabis technologies come with specific limitations that stand in the way of adoption. Hence, Redfund and Cannabis Strategic Ventures will seek alternatives that enable the technology to push past original constraints for the purpose of developing cannabis ingredients for ready addition to foods, beverages and cosmetic products, to name a few.

Redfund has also partnered with Mary’s Wellness Ltd., a marketer and distributor of cannabis-infused teas (http://ibn.fm/Kai3T), and it is currently having active discussions with partners in the UK, Switzerland, Colombia and Portugal to help launch Mary’s products.

Additionally, the company is funding Winterlife Inc. as the latter launches a new CBD product line (http://ibn.fm/1Bb6a). Winterlife products are currently available in over 600 dispensaries throughout the State of Washington, with processing agreements in place with several other U.S. states.

In November, Redfund shared a comprehensive list of 2018 updates. According to the announcement, the core component of Redfund’s business strategy through the year was to establish the foundations of a loan portfolio that generates revenue with monthly interest income and that also grows value for shareholders (http://ibn.fm/mb9Qz).

In 2018, the company extended funds for five signed promissory notes. In addition, Redfund had 11 companies in the pipeline at various stages of due diligence. As of November, the Redfund loan portfolio consists of Winterlife, Mary’s Wellness, RxMM Health Care, Biominerales Pharma Colombia and Biolog Inc.

Based on its strategy, Redfund aims to provide debt and equity funding in the mid and later stages of the development of a target company. The current focus is medical cannabis, hemp and CBD-related health care/wellness companies.

Redfund also launched an array of innovative initiatives throughout the year. First Euro Cannabis is one such initiative. A Redfund subsidiary, First Euro Cannabis is the first incubator and accelerator in Europe that finances medical cannabis, CBD and hemp companies. This subsidiary is also expected to play a major role in the European distribution of Winterlife products (http://ibn.fm/OUbWt).

In terms of future development, Redfund has made some announcements about the growth anticipated in 2019.

Two of the companies in the Redfund portfolio are investigating the process for filing to the Canadian Securities Exchange. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, these companies anticipate becoming stand-alone public entities.

“The Company vision is to have a portfolio of 20 companies with $75 million injected through loans deployed to companies who have commonalities of revenues, brand awareness, and a keen interest to go global with their products… We are looking forward to our portfolio companies being leaders in the public markets,” Redfund CEO Meris Kott said in a news release.

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

• Company has retained Boustead Securities for underwriting of the planned IPO for wholly owned foreign enterprise CBD Biotech
• CIIX is taking necessary steps to support the growth strategy currently in place for CBD Biotech
• With the finalized spinoff of CBD Biotech, CIIX will look to refocus on its original mission

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX), a leading financial news media and content platform serving the global Chinese-speaking community, recently announced (http://ibn.fm/JRGbs) that it has retained Boustead Securities, LLC for the underwriting of the planned initial public offering (IPO) of its wholly owned foreign enterprise, CBD Biotech Co. Ltd.

According to Warren Wang, founder, CEO and chairman of CIIX, this is one of many steps in place to execute the planned spinoff of CBD Biotech. Wang believes that listing on a national exchange will add value to the company by providing market visibility and access to capital, while further supporting the growth strategy that’s currently in place. In the press release, Boustead Securities emphasized the potential that CBD Biotech can gain by being a first mover in the Chinese CBD market.

The company has already made positive steps toward increasing CBD Biotech’s visibility and accessibility on a global scale. A few of the steps that have been taken over the last year include:

• Launched the world’s first CBD health products store published in the Chinese language, www.ChineseCBDOil.com
• Launched the world’s first cannabis-focused social media mobile app created for Chinese-speaking customers, Da Ma Dian Ping
• Appointed a chief financial officer, Alex Hamilton, with the goal of providing CBD-related products to China’s mainland population (http://ibn.fm/bd0c8)

With the finalized spinoff of CBD Biotech, CIIX will be able to re-focus on its original mission of providing financial information and services to the larger Chinese community in the U.S. and elsewhere. Over the years, the company has invested heavily in a variety of products and services for education of Chinese-speaking investors worldwide. These resources include real-time market analysis, commentaries and educational products that allow the CIIX audience to make informed decisions to help meet their individual financial goals.

The company has a diversified line of products and services to expand revenue streams. This includes the CBD products, the financial information products and services and a consultative service for private companies looking to go public.

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